New Psych Eval For A.B.B.

The Oslo District Court today decided that a new psychological evaluation should be made of the Norwegian mass murderer A.B.B and has appointed two psychiatrists to conduct the evaluation.

A.B.B. killed 77 people with a bombing in Oslo city center and by shooting on the island of Utøya on July 22, 2011.

The courts decision comes as no surprise since the earlier evaluation by two court appointed psychiatrists, that found A.B.B. is suffering from psychotic schizophrenia and therefore legally insane, has been heavily disputed among other psychiatrists and also undermined by the opinions reached by a team of psychiatrists and psychologists in Ila prison where A.B.B. is held in custody until the trial. See my earlier posts "Legally Insane" (url), "Sane Enough" (url) and "Sane or Insane?" (url).

According to one of the two trial judges, Wenche Elisabeth Arntzen, the decision was reached so as to "illuminate the matter in a broader way". She continues that whatever conclusion the new evaluation reaches it will be valuable for the courts to have the additional material when deciding the case.

It is uncertain whether or not A.B.B. will be willing to participate in the new examination, but according to expertise there is enough material of video and sound tapes from the police inquiry, the previous evaluation and the diatribes published on the Internet by A.B.B. for the evaluation to be conducted without him.