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Foreign criminals get tougher sentences

NTB/The Local
NTB/The Local - [email protected]
Foreign criminals get tougher sentences
Photo: Sara Johannessen (File)

Police and justice officials are deliberately pushing for tougher sentences for foreign criminals in an attempt to convince mainly Eastern European crime gangs of the folly of breaking the law in Norway.

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Foreign criminals are being punished much more severely than Norwegian nationals found guilty of the same offences, a prosecutor told broadcaster NRK

“They are here for a short time, steal a lot, then travel back home,” said prosecutor Henning Klauseie from the Hedmark police district.

In a bid to make Norway seem less attractive, the authorities have decided to clamp down on foreign gangs.

“For example, several judges in Hedmark hand foreigners jail terms of 120 days for shoplifting. That’s a considerably harsher punishment than a Trysil native would get.”

Police often hear from foreigners arrested in Norway that the country is regarded as a candy store by cross-border criminals.

“We can’t have punishments that make foreigners laugh; we have to have punishments that act as a deterrent,” said Klauseie. 

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