Psychiatrists Rule Breivik Insane

That could mean he avoids prison
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 29, 2011 6:56 AM CST
Updated Nov 29, 2011 7:51 AM CST
Psychiatrists Rule Anders Behring Breivik Insane, Recommend No Prison Time for Norway Mass Killer
This July 25, 2011 file photo shows Norway's twin terror attacks suspect Anders Behring Breivik, left, as he sits in an armored police vehicle after leaving the courthouse following a hearing in Oslo.   (AP Photo/Aftenposten/Jon-Are Berg-Jacobsen, File)

Psychiatrists today found Anders Behring Breivik insane, and ruled in their report that the Norway killer should not be sent to prison. If the conclusion is upheld when the courts rule on the report, Breivik will instead undergo psychiatric care and could later be released if he’s deemed not to be a threat, the Atlantic Wire reports. Breivik was suffering from psychosis when he killed 77 people in twin terror attacks, the Telegraph adds, citing VG Daily.

Experts interviewed Breivik 13 times and determined that he suffers “grandiose delusions” and is paranoid and schizophrenic, CNN reports. The report will now be examined by a legal medical commission, and the court will decide whether Breivik can be held accountable. The Telegraph notes that Norway courts commonly follow expert recommendations, and the AP adds that Breivik will only be sent to prison if the court does not uphold the psychiatric ruling. Meanwhile, police say he will be tried, but can only be sentenced to a mental hospital for the rest of his life, rather than prison. (More Anders Behring Breivik stories.)

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