IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to comprehend the murderous actions committed by Anders Behring Breivik in Norway last July. The cold blooded killing of so many innocent people in the name of right-wing extremism sent shockwaves throughout the Western world, and was exacerbated by the fact that Brekivik would never have been considered a danger prior to this sickening event.
Intelligent, articulate and highly educated, it is virtually impossible to understand why this individual carried out such a heinous crime. Especially as this occurred in Norway, arguably Europe's most pacifistic and socially progressive state.
Anders Breivik smirking during the trial.
Naturally, as details of the crimes emerged, many Norwegians demanded that the death penalty be instituted to punish Breivik. Breivik himself has even requested this.
Now the court case against him has begun the people of Norway have been left thoroughly divided. Should he be sentenced under the criminal justice system, a fear exists that he could one day be free. Norway, like other advanced European nations, has legal mechanisms in place to ensure even miscreants who have committed the most heinous of crimes will have their sentence reviewed after a set number of years. In this case the timeframe rests at 21. As a consequence, many believe he should be treated indefinitely in a secure psychiatric hospital, a fate which Breivik himself has described as being "worse than death."
However, those sitting in judgement of Breivik must show restraint, and must not be unduly influenced by the waves of public anger this case has generated. When the trial concludes it is imperative that the case judges adhere strictly to the law, basing their judgement on cold logic instead of emotion.
Should experts recommend that Breivik be incarcerated in a penal institution then there he must surely go. For even though he may view this as preferable to psychiatric care; even setting a precedent in his mind for legitimising his actions, I do not believe he has any real comprehension of what actually awaits.
The nature of his crimes mean that Breivik will never be allowed to interact with fellow prisoners. Therefore, for the duration of his incarceration, he will be placed in effective solitary confinement. His actions also mean that prison authorities will be able to determine exactly what information, in the form of books and broadcasts, he has access to, potentially allowing them to restrict him from consuming all but the most banal forms of material. And even when his case comes up for review in 21-years time, no individual will realistically sanction his release from jail.
Breivik is currently in excellent physical health. At only 33-years-old the period indefinite incarceration he will now experience suggests he could well live for another 70 years. It is therefore not unnatural to assume that after a period of 20-years in solitary confinement, the affect upon his already unbalanced mental state will result in a marked deterioration. A deterioration that will then allow psychiatrists to transfer him to a more suitable environment, whereby he shall no doubt remain in-perpetuity.
A sea of flowers laid at Utoya Island, scene of the main massacre.
Although many throughout Norway and the world do believe the death penalty seems desirable in this case, a life of incarceration which lacks any real form of intellectual stimulation appears to offer a far more appropriate resolution. This person is currently thriving on the publicity surrounding the case, believing he is cementing his place in history as a modern Teutonic Knight who is about to suffer martyrdom. This could not be further from the truth.
After a substantial period of time this man may eventually understand his actions have only generated revulsion. But whether that be the case, or whether he remains in a permanent state of delusion, is of no real consequence. The fact remains that he shall forever remain in a state of incarceration; which, for a man now realising just how unpalatable this state of affairs actually is, seems a fitting and appropriate punishment.
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