Norway’s Shocking Response to a Mass Child Killer
In a Nutshell
Norway's response to Anders Breivik's mass murder of 77 people (including ~60 at a youth camp)—a 21-year maximum sentence in cushy high-security conditions—prioritizes societal humanity, rehabilitation, and extendable containment over harsh retribution, despite his early antisocial traits persisting through welfare interventions. Critics argue this "weak" punishment inadequately deters, quarantines a high-recidivism risk, and devalues victims by signaling low consequences compared to harsher U.S. norms. The debate weighs retributive instincts against preserving cultural values, acknowledging no punishment fully satisfies but extreme cruelty corrupts society.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Norway has much less crime and violent crime than the United States. They incarcerate far fewer people in less harsh institutions for shorter periods. Mass shootings are very rare, but one occurred with Anders Breivik, who shot around 60 children at a summer camp on an island. It was the worst mass murder in Norway's history. Breivik had terrible genetic and environmental luck: unstable mother and antisocial from age three or four. Despite Norway's wraparound social welfare state, social worker notes from age five described him as aggressive and violent, torturing pets, so other kids weren't allowed to play with him.
Norway sentenced him to the maximum: 21 years (about 4 months per child). He is in maximum security prison, which looks like a London hotel room in Instagram memes—the only giveaway is the security camera dome on the ceiling. Conditions seem cushy by American standards.
The trial showed a society reckoning with maximum retributive impulses toward Breivik for murdering children, while recognizing he is still Norwegian and part of society. They balance keeping society safe with not letting retribution corrupt their culture. From an American perspective, the trial transcript felt wild: feeling retribution without leading entirely with it, while recognizing the perpetrator's inherent humanity.
Do you think somebody that shot 60 kids has that much humanity?
I think we all have that humanity... every single person, even when they do horrible things, is still human. And even if they don't, treating them like they don't does something to my humanity.
The speaker struggles to flip empathy into pleasure at a defector's pain; always feels sorry for the person. For the interlocutor, residual humanity in someone who shot 60 kids seems very low. Such a heinous crime warrants never coming out again as pro-social: signaling a limit in Norway. They may be loving, but this crosses the line, warning others off.
Likelihood of recidivism remains high—even if desire to murder children drops by one per year over six decades, he still wants to murder a child. 21 years seems weak, wimpy, insufficient deterrent, and inadequate quarantine.
Reasons for criminal legal system:
- Containment: Protect others from the person. In Norway, sentence can be lengthened if still a risk at end.
- Retribution: You lost the privilege; deserve to suffer regardless of future.
- Rehabilitation: State intervention to repair the person and their community relationship to prevent future violence.
Interlocutor's response mixes all: danger, horribleness beyond rehabilitation, long-rooted problem.
Calling it weak—insufficient compared to 20 years for stabbing one guy with a box cutter versus 60 children. Consider 120 parents needing vindication. Signals value of victims by punishment level; lack of punishment devalues them, like enslaved people whose masters hurt them without consequence. Asserts, "Who do you think you are? Who do you think I am?"
Speaker, a mother of three, moved by the case; unsure if parents could coolly suppress retributive instinct (blacked out in anger once when child hurt). Norway's approach radically different from US.
Punishment always leaves some remainder unsatisfying. Extreme responses like stringing up and burning risk corrupting society's honoring of every human's inherent value, bringing out callous instincts. Response to most antisocial people reveals our own antisocial side. No perfect solution, but other societies show US overemphasizes suffering deserved.
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