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Prosecutors in Norway call for Breivik insanity verdict Prosecutors in Norway call for Breivik insanity verdict
(about 2 hours later)
Prosecutors in Norway have called for self-confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik to be considered insane in their closing argument at his trial.Prosecutors in Norway have called for self-confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik to be considered insane in their closing argument at his trial.
Prosecutor Svein Holden said there were still doubts about his insanity but he should be placed in psychiatric care, not sent to prison.Prosecutor Svein Holden said there were still doubts about his insanity but he should be placed in psychiatric care, not sent to prison.
Judges in the trial in Oslo are due to deliver their verdict in the trial in July or August.Judges in the trial in Oslo are due to deliver their verdict in the trial in July or August.
Breivik killed 77 people and injured 242 on 22 July of last year.Breivik killed 77 people and injured 242 on 22 July of last year.
He bombed government buildings in Oslo before shooting young Labour Party supporters at an island camp.He bombed government buildings in Oslo before shooting young Labour Party supporters at an island camp.
Breivik sought to justify his attacks by saying they were necessary to stop the "Islamisation" of Norway.Breivik sought to justify his attacks by saying they were necessary to stop the "Islamisation" of Norway.
He himself has said he wants to be found sane, believing his extreme-right anti-Islam ideology will then have to be taken seriously, rather than being portrayed as the works of a madman, says the BBC's Lars Bevanger in court in Oslo.He himself has said he wants to be found sane, believing his extreme-right anti-Islam ideology will then have to be taken seriously, rather than being portrayed as the works of a madman, says the BBC's Lars Bevanger in court in Oslo.
The defence concludes on Friday.The defence concludes on Friday.
'Killing machine''Killing machine'
Since the question of guilt is not an issue in this case, Breivik's sanity has from the outset been the central question the court must answer. Now that the prosecution has asked the court to commit him to psychiatric care, many commentators here say it would be unusual for the judges to go the opposite way: to rule him sane and accountable and send him to prison.
A string of forensic and prison psychiatrists have told this court they think Breivik is not psychotic and therefore accountable. Only two people - the authors of the first psychiatric assessment - have argued in court that he was psychotic at the time of his crimes.
Yet the prosecution argued this presented reasonable doubt which should "benefit" the defendant. The fact that Breivik himself has called psychiatric care "a fate worse than death" is not something the prosecution or the court can take into account.
"We request that he is transferred to compulsory psychiatric care," said Mr Holden."We request that he is transferred to compulsory psychiatric care," said Mr Holden.
He said that although prosecutors could not be sure Breivik was insane, there remained doubt about his sanity.He said that although prosecutors could not be sure Breivik was insane, there remained doubt about his sanity.
Mr Holden said it was worse to sentence a psychotic person to prison than to place a non-psychotic person in psychiatric care.Mr Holden said it was worse to sentence a psychotic person to prison than to place a non-psychotic person in psychiatric care.
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Holden's colleague Inga Bejer Engh told the court it had always been the prosecution's clear view that the case should be treated like any other criminal case.Earlier on Thursday, Mr Holden's colleague Inga Bejer Engh told the court it had always been the prosecution's clear view that the case should be treated like any other criminal case.
"We must also accept this court will never find all the answers to our questions," she added."We must also accept this court will never find all the answers to our questions," she added.
"How did he become this killing machine? How many did he try to kill on that day?""How did he become this killing machine? How many did he try to kill on that day?"
Without a hint of regret, she said, Breivik had told the court how he had reloaded his gun while victims sat waiting for him to kill them on the island of Utoeya.Without a hint of regret, she said, Breivik had told the court how he had reloaded his gun while victims sat waiting for him to kill them on the island of Utoeya.
Breivik could be seen smiling at times as he listened to the prosecutor.Breivik could be seen smiling at times as he listened to the prosecutor.
Before the trial, a court-ordered pair of psychiatrists found Breivik insane, suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, and therefore not responsible for his actions.Before the trial, a court-ordered pair of psychiatrists found Breivik insane, suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, and therefore not responsible for his actions.
This caused an uproar in Norway. The court then ordered a second opinion which found Breivik sane, as did a number of other psychiatrists who had observed him in detention and in court.This caused an uproar in Norway. The court then ordered a second opinion which found Breivik sane, as did a number of other psychiatrists who had observed him in detention and in court.
When they presented their formal indictment in March, the prosecutors had called for Breivik to be committed to psychiatric care, based on the first report.When they presented their formal indictment in March, the prosecutors had called for Breivik to be committed to psychiatric care, based on the first report.
But they said they might change their recommendation if new information were to surface about his mental health.But they said they might change their recommendation if new information were to surface about his mental health.