(Trigger Warning) Tragedy in Sogndal: The Involuntary Manslaughter of Arve Beheim Karlsen

(Listener Disretion is Advised)

Scandinavian Crimes (w/ Devante & Delila)

Year(s) of Incident: April 1999
Location: Norway
Tragedy in Sogndal: The Involuntary Manslaughter of Arve Beheim Karlsen
Victim(s):  1
Method: Involuntary Manslaughter, Murder?


The Arve Beheim Karlsen case refers to the racially motivated death of a 15-year-old Norwegian boy of mixed-race descent in 1999. Arve, who had been subjected to frequent racial harassment, was chased by a group of neo-Nazi youths in the town of Sogndal. In an attempt to escape, he jumped into the nearby river and tragically drowned. The case shocked the nation, drawing attention to the rise of racism and xenophobia in Norway. It sparked a national debate about racial intolerance and prompted calls for stronger actions against hate crimes and far-right extremism. The case remains a painful reminder of the consequences of racism and discrimination.


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Persons of Interest

From murderers to money launderers, thieves to thugs – police officers from the...

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 3:55 Story - Background
• 4:53 Story - The Racial Harrassment
• 8:55 Story - The Chase
• 11:32 Story - Where is Arve?
• 12:10 [Ad] Persons of Interest
• 12:49 (Cont.) Story - Where is Arve?
• 14:14 Story - Investigation, Trial and Conviction
• 19:50 Discussion Section
• 33:40 Conclusion/Outro

Transcript

Welcome to Scandinavian Crimes. My name is Devante, and say hello to my lovely co-host, Delila. Hi. And on this podcast, we talk about famous Scandinavian criminals who made their mark throughout Scandinavian history.(...) So welcome back to another episode. So today we're gonna be covering a very interesting case. I feel like I say this every episode, but nonetheless, a lot of these episodes are very interesting within themselves. So this story is about a racially motivated crime that happened before the Homelia murder case. Now, if you don't know about that case, you can go back to the previous episodes and you'll see that we covered the Homelia murder case. Now, while this case is actually completely different in terms of the people involved, it shares a lot of similarities, but also it kind of occurred around the same time. So it gives you an idea of what the landscape was like around that time involving both this case and the Homelia case. So feel free, go back and listen to it. You know, that's what podcasts for you and you can go back and listen to the previous episodes and kind of, you know, get context to the situation, especially involving this case here. So this case is about Arve Beheem Carlson. Now he was adopted from India. He had been subjected to severe racism and violence throughout his life. The 17 year old was pursued by two teenage boys who were shouting racist threats. The last time he was seen, he was fleeing from them desperately.(...) So I wanna make sure I say this absolutely clearly because when I mean this case is gonna be different from all the other cases we've ever done, it is gonna be different from all the other cases we ever done. So I'm saying this now, listen clearly. I don't wanna hear anything in the comments. I don't wanna hear any on none of the platforms. I'm letting you know. This is a warning before we start. This story contains racist and hateful language.(...) So viewer discretion is absolutely, well, listener, discretion is absolutely advised.(...) You have been warned. I will give you five seconds of complete silence to make sure you have enough time to turn off this episode.

(...)

(Dramatic Music)

(...)

You literally couldn't wait for five seconds.

Yes, I wanted to do it in real time instead of me editing out the five seconds.

(...) (Laughing)

(...)

You've been warned, okay?(...) So now that we've gotten past the advisory,

(...)

you already know what to do.

(...)

Grab your tea,

(...)

grab your snacks.

(...)

If you're on your way to work, tuck yourself into a nice little corner on the bus or the train or wherever you are. If you're at home, make sure you get the nice cup of herbal tea with your sweater wrapped around the cup as you drink and listen because this is the story(...) of the tragic death of Arve Beheem Carlson.

(...)

(Dramatic Music)

(...)

On an October day in 1981, a plane from India landed in Fornabu Airport. On board was a two month old baby and outside two excited parents were ready to welcome their long awaited son, Arve.

(...)

Carrie Beheem Carlson and her husband Lars had longed for children.

(...)

After trying for some time with no success, they decided to adopt.

(...)

They were ready to bring their new family member home in Hafslor, a small village with about 1,000 residents.

(...)

Arve was the first person in the village to have brown skin.(...) In small communities, adopting a child of a different ethnicity can be very dangerous.(...) Fortunately, the village accepted Arve.(...) He grew up to be a very kind, social and always caring deeply about others as well as his neighbors.

(...)

During his younger years, Arve experienced some racism, but it was not considered serious enough to address.(...) His parents recalled a few negative incidences, but they were seen as minor issues that many people encountered.

(...)

As he grew older, Arve stopped sharing his racist experiences and choosing not to involve his closest loved ones anymore. Arve's problems began when he moved to a new school and struggled to adjust. Determined to study transport technology, he relocated to Forde, where he lived in a dormitory, which is a common practice for students in rural areas in Norway.

(...)

As winter approached, Arve started skipping school, frequently claiming he was unwell. It soon became evident that he was changing,(...) becoming more withdrawn.(...) After the fall break, Arve called home, saying he was bullied and wanted to quit.

(...)

When meeting with the principal, Arve explained the reason for his leave, which surprised the principal and the school who were unaware of the extent of the bullying. They asked Arve to identify the bullies. Fearful of the consequences,(...) Arve agreed on one condition that the names were kept confidential. The bullies were part of a group from Nostal, a village near Forde. After two months, Arve returned to Hafslø and life resumed as before.

(...)

He moved back into his old room and reconnected with his old friends. In the fall, Arve's childhood friend, Christian, visited Arve and Hafslø, and they planned to attend a party by the lake.

(...)

At the party, Arve was told he couldn't join a group sitting outside because of his skin color. The people around the table were part of the Nostal group known in the local community for their racist attitudes and occasional violence.

(...)

One of them went to the same school as Arve and Forde, who strongly disliked Arve. Now, we don't know the name of the person who strongly disliked Arve, so on this podcast, we will call him Eric. The incident deeply hurt Arve, who felt it was wrong for anyone to dictate his movements based on his skin color.

(...)

After returning to Hafslø, his safe space, he found things worsening.

(...)

A few weeks later, at another party in a nearby village, Arve called his father Lars for a pickup. When Lars arrived, Arve revealed he had been harassed again and mentioned Eric.

(...)

Arve didn't tell his father he had been called a damn nigger and headbutted twice that evening. He kept to himself, hoping to avoid further conflict and let things settle peacefully. However, Lars wanted to confront Eric, but Arve stopped him, fearing it would make things even worse. They decided to go home and discuss whether to report the incident to the police.

(...)

Arve was worried about further consequences and was indeed reluctant to file a report.

(...)

On Monday morning, Lars contacted the police without Arve's knowledge. The police were familiar with Eric and promised to monitor the situation, but recommended that Arve file a formal complaint, which Arve declined to do.

(...)

One weekend in January, Arve visited a friend in Fortade.

(...)

There, Arve encountered the same group that bullied him to leave the school in Fortade.

(...)

After a brief exchange, Arve and his friend were threatened and told to leave. They split up and the Nastal group followed Arve.

(...)

He was knocked down, kicked in a torso and in the head, sustaining broken bones, facial cuts, and a two-week medical leave.

(...)

Arve had enough and despite his fear of the consequences, decided to report the incident and named his attackers identifying the same Nastal group and Eric. On Friday, April 23rd, 1999, with the snow melting and river swelling, an annual celebration took place in Sangdal, drawing young people from all over the county.

(...)

Arve looked forward to the event, but expressed apprehension knowing the group for Nastal would also be attending.

(...)

Arve and his friend Kim took the bus to Sangdal, where he met their mutual friends, Harold and Frode. Harold and Frode settled near the roundabout to play guitar while Arve and Kim headed to the evening's bustling epicenter, the legendary club Svingen. The area was crowded both outside as well as in. As they walked towards Sangdal bus terminal, they heard someone shouting at Arve nearby. Eric and another person Arve recognized from his time in Fortade were there wanting to talk.(...) We will call Eric's companion Henrik on this podcast, since we don't know his name, of course. Arve was reluctant, but Eric insisted that he only wanted to talk.

(...)

Kim and Arve approached them, and Eric asked to speak with Arve alone, so the two stepped aside.(...) Kim watched as Eric put his arms around Arve's neck, pulling him behind some park buses.(...) Seeing this, Kim ran towards them, but Eric and Henrik had already taken off after Arve, who was able to escape.(...) There were two parallel bridges over the Sangdal's river,

(...)

a bridge and a road bridge.(...) Arve ran over the foot bridge, and on the other side, near a roundabout, his friends Frode and Harold were sitting. They called out asking what was happening. Kim yelled, "Thereafter Arve, help him."

(...)

Frode and Harold quickly understood and started to follow.

(...)

Arve sprinted, cutting sharply down under the bridge while the pursuer shouted, "I'm going to kill that little nigger." As they all gathered on the other side of the bridge, Arve's friends couldn't see him anymore. The friends got under the bridge where Arve and his pursuers had ran. It was completely dark,(...) and it was only the roar of the river to be heard. There, they met the two pursuers. Eric asked where Arve was, and Harold responded that they couldn't catch up to him, which Eric seemed satisfied to hear.

(...)

Arve's friend assumed he had managed to escape, thinking he had either gone to another party or headed home, as he usually did. The night ended with everyone believing Arve was safe, but unfortunately, the reality was far more concerning.

(...)

Arve's parents were used to him informing them about changes in his plans.(...) Immediately, Carrie felt something was wrong as the day progressed and they heard nothing from him. Carrie and Mars drove to the homes of Arve's friends to see if he might've spent the night there.(...) Arve's friends confirmed he wasn't at their house and mentioned the chase over the bridge the night before.(...) His parents realized Arve was in trouble and they continued their search by driving around until they encountered a local police officer. After hearing about the events of the previous night, he advised them to contact the police, realizing the seriousness of the situation.

(...)

Arve was reported missing.

(...)

Initially, the police suspected he might've drunk too much and ended up in a hospital.(...) After checking local hospitals and finding no traces of him, they treated this case urgently,(...) organized the search and followed up on tips.

(...)

However, many tips were misleading with people claiming to have seen him in various places.(...) Despite the challenges, the police began piecing together what had happened in Sungdae that night.

(...)

Several tips confirmed Arve had been chased over the bridge, allowing the police to focus their search there. With tremendous help from volunteers, they concentrated near the river where Arve was last seen.

(...)

Carrie, Lars, and their relatives and friends searched tirelessly by the river but found no trace of Arve.

(...)

Police teams scoured the Sungdae River and its banks without any success. On Monday morning, just as Carrie and Lars parked their car to continue the search, they received a phone call. The police informed them that a discovery had been made and requested them to come urgently. Carrie and Lars both rushed to the river.

(...)

There, they found 17-year-old Arve dead at the mouth of the Sungdae River.

(...)

Carrie felt utterly helpless and paralyzed, while all she wanted to do was scream. The police quickly formed a theory that Arve was murdered and requested assistance from the National Criminal Investigation Service, Cripos.

(...)

The two 17-year-old boys, Eric and Henrik, were quickly identified and called in for questioning.(...) Arve's body was sent for an autopsy, and the following day, it was confirmed that he had died from drowning.

(...)

Although there was no signs of external violence on his body, the police did not change their theory that the murder had occurred. Two days after Arve was found, the police charged Eric and Henrik with murder, believing they pushed or threw Arve into the Sungdae River.

(...)

The accused was shocked by the charges and denied any involvement.

(...)

Their lawyers asserted they were unfairly caught in a serious case without evidence against them.(...) However, Eric and Henrik do have prior criminal records.(...) Eric, for instance, was convicted at 15 for throwing a girl from a balcony. The Nosedale group, known for their violent behavior, has led the police to suspect Eric and Henrik for Arve's death. However, both the local police and Cripos had hit a dead end in their investigation.(...) There was no evidence proving that the two accused were responsible for Arve's death.

(...)

Questions remained. Did Arve fall in after being pushed, or did he stumble in?(...) Did the accused witness him fallen and chose not to help, or was he swept away by the current while trying to escape?

(...)

While the police had clarity about the events on the bridge, they remained uncertain about what occurred beneath it. With no new information to pursue the investigation, it was brought to a close.

(...)

As a result, in January 2000, 10 months after Arve's death, Eric and Henrik's murder charges were removed. The parents were outraged by the revised charge(...) and appealed, insisting that the murder charges be reinstated.(...) They believed Arve being in a river was directly related to the assault and threats he faced. When his death wasn't included in the case, the lawyer felt it left a gap in their argument. In the appeal, the lawyer highlighted several investigative shortcomings that could determine the outcome of the suspect's charges.

(...)

The parents also sought to expand the charges to include the racism clause, arguing that used terms like "damn nigger" and other racist slurs and threats against Arve should be punishable.

(...)

The racism clause addresses hateful expression in public, although the clause hadn't been used in 135 years.(...) The parents believed it applied in this case.

(...)

However, the appeal was dismissed by admitting the racism clause the court treated the case of racism as a private issue between Arve and his aggressors, failing to recognize it was a societal concern that affects the public. Neither the murder charge nor the racism clause was included in the indictment, only the threats and violence charge remained.

(...)

For a year, the family exchanged correspondence with the court appealing but facing firm resistance. In January 2001, everything changed when Benjamin Hermanson was murdered in Homelier. Due to the racially motivated attack, it received significant media attention. This renewed focus also brought attention to Arve's death, leading to his case to include the racism clause.(...) This marks the first time the racism clause has been used in such a context in Norway.(...) The defendant's lawyers expressed frustration, claiming the change is driven by populism and anti-racism hysteria following Benjamin's murder. Despite the defense protests, the charges were finalized, and after several delays, the trial began in May 2001, two years after Arve's death.

(...)

The two youths were charged with threats, violence, and racism, with Eric facing additional charges for six instances of violence against Arve.(...) Both defendants denied any wrongdoing. The trial lasted two weeks. The prosecution argued that Arve fled for his life from the two youths, ultimately ending up in the river where he was swept away by the current. The defense countered that this was speculative, suggesting that Arve could have fallen at a later time. Eric also stated that he was not racist, but simply disliked Arve as a person. He claimed that using the term "nigger" was not meant to be particularly negative and denied committing any racist acts against him.(...) And so,(...) on June 8th, the verdict was delivered in a packed courtroom in Ende's Song District Court. Eric received a three-year sentence for racially motivated violence and threats, while Henrik was sentenced to one year.

(...)

The court noted that Eric had tormented Arve for an extended period of time, likely causing Arve significant psychological stress in the last six months.(...) However, both were acquitted under the racism clause as the court found that using the racism language should not qualify as spreading racism in public.

(...)

The judgment was appealed, but the Court of Appeal rejected the racism clause once more, ending the case. Kerry expressed how society was unwilling to acknowledge Norway's issues of racism and how to address them properly.

(...)

As he struggles to move on, haunted by the emptiness left behind,(...) Arve's room stands as a reminder of his absence, filled with his belongings, including his lingering smell, evoking the lasting impact of his loss.

(...)

I think I'm gonna start off with something again.

No, I need to say something before you start.

No, I already started, I already started.

(Laughing)

(...)

This is actually really sad. And what I mean, look, you probably already had this written down as say, but how in court can someone say he claimed that using the term nigger wasn't meant to be particularly negative? That's literally...

(...)

It's interesting, but you know, it's actually interesting in that fact, because when people use the N word,(...) they say that it's like they know what it means, but they don't think that it's a particular racist,(...) like that I hate other people with another ethnicity. They just use it as a like, oh yeah, fuck you kind of thing.

Yeah, no, I don't believe that.

That's his argument at least, that's what he's trying to say.

No, because in the context of how even the examples they gave, it's used properly. Like not knowing how to, let's say you don't know what it means, that's like, oh, I feel nigger. You don't know what it means because you're using that in context. He's using it properly in context as an insult, which means you know what it means.

I know for a fact he's not a, he's a racist, like that's, it's very noticeable. Like why would he target RVA so much? And why did he use the words, you know, like it's very easy to see that he's racist.

(...)

I'm trying not to, you know.

(...) I can actually add some things to that honestly, because like,

(...)

I mean, before we do that, I wanted to clarify some things, you know, it's regarding the chase,

(...)

because like some people might feel like it was very hectic and chaotic and doesn't like what was going on. And that was actually how it was. Witnesses who was drunk and like they didn't really give any good tips because they were probably partying and everything.(...) And the chasers like Kim and the other friends who chased, it was dark and it was very chaotic for them too. They just heard the threats and they couldn't see that well. Like, so everything was very chaotic, but most of the chase was based from the point of view of the friends.

(...)

And, you know, I tried to describe it as best as I could with what I had,

(...)

but basically they arrived after Eric and Hendrik. So I just want you guys to keep that in mind that they arrived after them. And that's when Eric was like, where is out of bed?

(...)

So yeah.

(...)

And I wanted to, I didn't like that, no. I wanted to restart the whole thing. I feel like I was all over the place.

You was fine, you were fine.

No, I was not fine.

It was fine. You were literally just looking at the thing, reading an order, I was keeping up.

I was not.

(...)

Okay, whatever.

(...)

So with that in mind,

(...)

I wanted to ask you a question, Devonté. Sure. So do you think that Eric and Hendrik committed the murder or like, you know, pushed him in or something? Or do you think ever accidentally fell in during the chase?

(...)

I think it was probably,

(...)

if I were to be honest, if there was no evidence of external physical abuse, what probably happened most likely was during the chase,

(...)

because he's trying to, while it was dark, he was trying to get away,(...) chances are because of their direct chase, he accidentally probably fell in.

(...)

And he probably, I don't know if it was like a hill or something, or maybe he could have been knocked unconscious on the tumble down and then fell into the water. And then that could have been the reason why he drowned. Because even when people typically drown and get caught in the current, from my understanding at least, I don't know how the water is in that particular area.(...) But at least you'll see on their body

like- It was a current, so it was like-

Yeah, no, I know, I was saying that. So the reason I'm like, I'm taking a stab in the dark here, I don't know if it's true or not. I'm just saying, usually, I don't know how the water is. This is very subjective based on the environment. But if he got picked up by a current, and let's say he was still conscious when he got picked up by the current, then at least there would be some form of like,(...) I guess irritation, not irritation, what's the word I'm looking for? It would seem like he struggles, like signs of struggle kind of ish, but it depends also on how deep the water is.(...) So let's say

the water- I mean, they did see that, and during the autopsy, they based on what they saw, they saw that the cause of death was drowning.

Yeah, I just meant like struggle as in like, I'll give you an example, because my brain is drawing a blank for some reason.(...) So like, when you're in water, let's say it's eight feet, right? But there's still a current.(...) Eight feet is still deep enough where if you're unconscious, it can pull you away easily. However, if you're conscious in eight feet, it's still shallow enough that if you're conscious and you're being pulled by a current, there'll be signs of a struggle,

(...)

you're trying to grab onto the sea floor.

Oh, like the hands or something, like you see that?

Yeah, like the hands would show signs of struggle or something like that. So like I said, I don't know how true or, this is just my speculation at this point. I don't know how deep the water is, so I'm not sure at all. This is just me trying to piece together what could have happened. So take what I said as a grain of salt. But my opinion is I think they, because of that response of them chasing, he probably fell and might've gotten knocked and conscious or was dazed and unfortunately got picked up into the current.

(...)

And I think that sucks honestly, because he wouldn't have been in that situation at all(...) if he wasn't chased.

Yeah.

(...)

They should have been charged for that because their actions are a direct response

(...)

of his death.

To his death.

If he would have never been chased, he would have never died, which means he would have lived.

(...)

And it wasn't like they was playing, it wasn't even like a mutually,

(...)

oh, it wasn't one of those situations where they're playing a game together. Like let's say if they were playing, I'm just saying like they're playing a game of tag. If they were friends and he accidentally died, then it was an accident. Because he slipped, there was no threat of his life. And then it was just an accident, a simple accident. That would have been something different. But he was running out of fear(...) because these two dudes are chasing him.

Yeah.

Which is a completely different scenario, which means he died because he's trying to escape because of the fear of the threat, you know, like so.

(...)

I don't know, this is backwards.

That's why we put in the title, involuntary manslaughter, even though they weren't charged or convicted by it. But we just feel like that would be a great explanation. Because even though they didn't do, might have not done it,

(...)

he still out of it died by being chased by them. He wouldn't even been in that situation at all if it wasn't for the chase.

(...)

So that's why we put it in the title.

(...)

So yeah, even though they didn't get charged for it. But regarding the whole legal aspect of the whole thing, I just feel like they were just finding all the loopholes of the case.

(...)

And I think that the racism clause was, you know, I think they should have been charged for that because they were part of this whole Nostal group who was famous for violence and strong prejudice against people of color.

(...)

And, you know, I think that that would have automatically just should have put them in the racism clause and convicted for it.

(...) Yeah.

I just thought it was super weird how they were like, yeah, it's a private matter. But I'm like, they were known, like the Nostal group was known for spreading like the racism thing.

(...)

And even in an interview done in the 2000s, like the third of police stated that the Nostal gang was compromised. It was around 68 members. It have grown and larger due to insufficient oversight from law enforcement schools and local authorities. And the gang was like super violent. And they also could be over operating in small groups and individually.(...) So like, even though he was hanging around with the Nostal group, he was part of the group. He could also like do whatever he wanted as an individual as well, which he did. So, you know, I think he should have received the racism clause with Hendrick as well. And the other people too.

(...)

Yeah, to kind of respond, because you said also I'm seeing here in the notes as well(...) that people in the community were having a hard time. So this is actually me being very serious. So,(...) you know, I am an African-American male, you know,(...) history,(...) you know, in my very own country, where, you know, it's different over here because, you know, every time I need a lot of talk about situations like this, it's very different for me because, you know, I come from family who had to fight, escape and deal with racism, my entire lineage and all that stuff. You know, I am, you know, born and bred, you know, American truly.(...) But what I would say for situations like this in countries in Norway, Sweden, you know, Finland,(...) all those places where there's communities of people of color, it may seem like a very tough thing to do, but, you know, the strongest thing you can do as a community is stick with each other.

(...)

Especially in situations like this where someone had to die and then, you know, not having,(...) obviously I'm not blaming the friends, the friends didn't do anything wrong. But then when you're outnumbered like that, it just makes it so much more difficult. And I think there's an importance to, you know, make sure you stick together because it's power in numbers.(...) And as we've, you know, done historically(...) and throughout history and even in the Caribbean, a lot of Haitians and, you know, different people, you know, who had to deal with the transatlantic slave trade, all that stuff, stick together. It helps. And also don't be afraid to kick someone's ass, you know, beat their ass. I'm a firm believer in laying hands on people.(...) And even if you're outnumbered,(...) you know, do what you gotta, if you got keys, do what you gotta do to even them odd sometimes.(...) And I'm not saying go out and fight people in the middle of the street for no reason, no.(...) I'm saying in situations where, you know, your life is being threatened, you know, you might have to defend yourself and running.

I can actually add a little bit to that. So, you know, the show have context out of it was described as a frail guy. He wasn't as strong as Eric. I understand. Sorry. And stuff like that. So I just wanted to add that as well, that it was, his choice was to run away. His friends were a bit stronger, but like they weren't really the size of like Eric. So, yeah.

I understand. But also I would still say power in numbers because all his friends and him definitely could have beat their ass for sure. It was only two of them.

(...)

I'm not, like I said, I'm not victim blaming. I'm not doing any of that. I'm actually trying to give a fair warning from, you know, just people out there that's power in numbers.

(...)

And if you want to take care of your friends, you want to take care of your family, you know, y'all gotta stick together. You gotta lay hands on people sometimes. Look, violence isn't always the answer, but it is a solution. So, you know, I'm just speaking, you know, from experience, you know, and all that jazz.

Self defense.

Self defense is very important. I always say it, you know, in general for the episodes, like when it comes to women,(...) but just period.

(...)

Woman, man, child, however you choose to identify.

(...)

Self defense is important, especially in situations like that. Cause fighting when you have no choice

(...)

often will increase your chances of survival. And like I said, use whatever you got. Keys, bottles,

(...)

whatever you got, use it. Especially if it's an unfair situation.

(...)

Look, at the end of the day, you're trying to go home. You can deal with all that other stuff later. Get home first. That's all I want to say about it. All right? But I knew Delilah was going to say something, but that's what I want to say. I'm very passionate about stuff like this, you know, but.

I know, and that's why I give you the free space to do that, you know, that's cool.

(...)

Honestly, there's not like a lot that I wanted to add. I just like,(...) I just think that, you know, he was racist by far. I'm glad that he got the racially motivated

(...)

convicted that way, but I guess I would have liked for him to,

(...)

and also the rest of the Nostal group to get the racism clause in general.

(...)

But yeah, also a little fun fact, him saying that he was, he's not a racist, he just hated Arbe is actually.

110% bullshit.

Yeah.(...) So there was actually another friend

(...)

during the previous incidents of harassment, as described before,

(...)

Eric was part of them.

(...)

And Arbe's friend was like, during a heated argument, it's like, why are you harassing Arbe? Why are you like, why are you hating on him so much? And Eric actually replied to that friend and said, I had nothing against him personally, but it was a skin color that was the problem.

(...)

So yeah, I just wanted to add that as a context, he,

(...)

even though during trial, he was saying like, no, I just, I didn't like, out of it personally, that's not true. He actually is racist, so yeah.

(...) Yeah, and also the police officers who were involved in this did not do enough, by the way, they didn't do enough.

They actually did get a lot of criticism.

(...)

The second someone calls you and I just like, but the second someone calls you or lets you know that something's going on,(...) your first response to the father shouldn't be, oh, follow an official police report. Oftentimes, you know.

They also had information about them prior to. You knew already. Like, you know about him, but.

Once you get a tip about a crime as an officer, especially regarding someone you already know has a record and has been involved in violent crimes, from my understanding, it's your duty to be like, okay, this is something I need to bring attention to because this is someone who is letting me know something's going on.

(...)

Following an official police report happens, like I said, after you've decided, okay, this needs to be done. And all you need the official report for is a paper trail, but nonetheless, it's still your job to intervene when you know something is going on, but instead decided to walk away from you, like, well, you're gonna follow official police report. And then nothing happened until someone had to die.

(...)

So they didn't do enough as well. They didn't investigate the scene properly. And I know it's not like the 1950s, this is like what?(...) 2000?

It was early 2000s, yeah.

I'm like, it's 2000. I know technology existed. Like, y'all didn't keep the timeline in perspective. Y'all didn't do nearly enough to make sure, okay, we need to get to the bottom of this

because-- They didn't take their phones. Nothing. They didn't reconstruct the scene. Email? Nothing. The lack of like, doing a reconstruction

(...)

is so important to determine the timeline and determine how long Eric and Henry were alone out of it during, under the bridge thing. Like, so it was like,

(...)

there was a lot of things they could have done and they got a criticism by that.

Yeah, and even finding out, you know, that from understanding it was Eric and Arve who went to the same school.

(...) Yeah.

Realizing that there's a pattern to this behavior. You're telling me he's not in the same school anymore. He left the school and he's still determined to harass him. That's a pattern, but no one brought that up. But either way, you know,

(...)

we just need to be better.

It's okay to multi-breathe.

We need to be better. We need to be better as people, you know, so I'm good on it.

You know, a lot of change, as you already know,

(...)

due to the murder of the Homliya murder,

(...)

a lot changed after this

(...)

and they are constantly fighting racism

(...)

a lot in Norway until this day.(...) And it's just very sad that both Benjamin and also Arve died for that to happen.

(...)

But at least, you know, change is happening. So it's really, you know, yeah. It's a very unfortunate story.

(...)

Very sad indeed that teenagers have to die like this, but you know,

(...)

at least change is happening.

(Soft Music)

(...)

Good to end the episode on a positive note. It's more for me than it is for y'all.

(...)

(Laughing)

(...)

What's something really good I can go for? You know, I was thinking about that hot pot.

It's fall time. I'm gonna have soup.

(...) I was just saying that hot pot sounds really good with some lamb, you know?

Oh yeah, you've been craving that from the restaurant we went to, yeah.

It's that time of the year. So that's for me and you said soup and--

It's the same area, so.

Yeah, you know, we're in the same kind of vibe, you know?

(...)

That sounds good, but yes, it's getting colder. Take care of yourselves out there, people.

(...)

Less sunlight, including myself. Take your extra vitamin D.

(...)

Don't be racist. Love your neighbor.

(...)

Support each other in our communities.(...) Let's be better.

Remember-- Don't be scared of cultures.

Don't be scared of cultures. Remember, we're all floating in a rock in an infinitely expanding abyss of darkness

(...)

that we call the universe.

(...)

Don't be dicks.

(...) Oh God, okay. Have a lovely day.

(Laughing)

Okay.

(...)

Thank you all for listening to the podcast today.

(...)

I'm sorry that I might sound very down,(...) but it is a very intense,

(...)

this hits very deep, so yeah.

Yeah, say no.

(...)

We will see you next week.

(...)

Peace out.

Bye.