On Thursday, former mayor Rune Øygard (Labor Party) was sentenced to imprisonment for one year and three months for assaulting a child under 16 and to pay 120,000 NOK in compensation to the girl he abused. The court decision has aroused reactions in the country.
– We have to revise punishments, there is no correlation between action and penalties in this area, says Labor Party parliamentarian Haugli to Dagsavisen. The newspaper wrote that the case can contribute to tougher penalties for adults who destroys children’s life in this way.
Haugli said it is precisely such cases that makes him think it’s time to raise a debate about the penalties. – There must be stricter penalties for abusing children, he says.
He regards himself as a liberal who are fans of a prison system that focuses on rehabilitation. Nevertheless, he believes stricter punishment is a signal in which such abuse is unacceptable.
