A Norwegian court in the Buskerud region is set to decide Monday whether Espen Andersen Bråthen, the man who killed five people in a 2021 bow-and-arrow attack in Kongsberg, will be released from the psychiatric institution where he is serving his sentence.
Bråthen, now 42, has argued he is ready to live independently, according to Norway’s public broadcaster NRK. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to the murders—committed with a bow, arrows, and a knife—as well as multiple attempted murders and aggravated assault. A court determined he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and ordered mandatory psychiatric treatment.
Two years ago, a court rejected his first request for release, deeming him unfit for society. His mother is Danish, NRK reported. The decision on his potential release is expected Monday.
