The prison in Oslo, Norway, is struggling with unusual vacancy rates, as the Norwegian justice system has ‘delivered’ fewer convicts since the terror attacks of 22 July.
Prison director Stig Meisler Storvik confirmed this on Monday to the Norwegian national broadcaster NRK. 25 of its 392 cells are empty, while there is normally a shortage of cells. Oslo police say they are mainly engaged in investigating the terror attacks, for which Anders Behring Breivik is the only suspect in prison.
A senior police chief reported that perpetrators and victims of, among other things, sexual violence, murder and manslaughter must wait. Many departments have lost half their manpower to the terror investigation.
The police in Oslo employs more than 2,300 people, including nearly 1,700 ‘regular’ officers and 70 anti-terror specialists (code name: Delta).
Anders Behring Breivik is the only suspect in the attacks. He detonated a car bomb outside government buildings and killed youths at a socialist party rally. In total, 77 people died. | © 2011 Marcel Burger for ANP News Agency (original published in Dutch on 29 August 2011)