OSLO: An eighteen-year-old Norwegian faces terrorism charges following the murder of a social worker in Oslo that authorities believe may have been racially motivated.
The victim worked at a residential facility dedicated to helping vulnerable young people integrate into society and was killed during the night between Saturday and Sunday at her workplace.
Norwegian media reports indicate the woman died from multiple stab wounds during the attack.
Lawyers representing the family have identified the victim as thirty-four-year-old Tamima Nibras Juhar, who was born in Ethiopia.
Police confirmed the suspect resided at the same facility and was arrested in Oslo shortly after the violent incident occurred.
“The suspect has admitted to playing a role in the murder,“ police officials stated during a press briefing on Monday.
Authorities expanded the preliminary charges to include terrorism after discovering additional disturbing information during their investigation.
“During his interrogation, he also said he planned to hurt several people,“ deputy prosecutor Philip Green revealed.
“At this stage, we believe he planned to spread terror among part of the population and that’s why he is now the subject of a terrorism investigation,“ Green explained.
The prosecutor further noted that the suspect had “expressed hostile opinions towards Muslim people” during questioning.
Norwegian media outlets reported the suspect had planned to attack a mosque, though the prosecutor declined to confirm these specific allegations.
Investigators believe the teenager acted alone and was scheduled to appear before a judge for formal detention proceedings.
This incident follows several previous far-right attacks that have shaken Norwegian society in recent years.
Right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed seventy-seven people in 2011 through coordinated bomb and gun attacks targeting government offices and a youth camp.
In August 2019, Philip Manshaus opened fire in a mosque on Oslo’s outskirts after killing his adopted Asian half-sister in a racially-motivated act.
Both perpetrators received twenty-one-year prison sentences that can be extended indefinitely if they remain considered threats to society. – AFP
