Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik gestures as he arrives for his terrorism and murder trial in a courtroom in Oslo April 16, 2012. Norway’s mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik has been admitted to the bachelor’s program in political science at the University of Oslo, but he has to remain in prison to study and, as a result, would probably not get a degree, local media reported on Friday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.
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UoO rector, Ole Petter Ottersen, told Reuters that inmates ‘have a right to pursue higher education in Norway if they meet the admission requirements and are successful in competition with other applicants.’.
He applied to Oslo University in 2013 but was turned down because his qualifications were insufficient. That submission stirred a debate in Norway over whether someone convicted of such a horrific crime should be in consideration for higher education.
On July 22, 2011, Breivik killed eight by detonating a bomb in Oslo and then opened fire at a youth camp on a nearby island, killing 69 people.
“He meets the admission requirements”. Since his 2012 conviction, Breivik has been studying in jail.
Prison regulations will prevent Breivik from going to the campus, attending classes, accessing digital learning resources or having contact with students or staff.
Ottersen said he had expected more objections from the public, but it was “remarkable” how few people had taken a stance against the university’s position. He claimed to be a member of an imaginary Knights Templar group, The Chicago Tribune added.
Prior to the violent attacks, Breivik attended high schools in Norway and enrolled on an online business management course, however he failed to complete secondary education.
Breivik has been studying course modules since applying to the University of Oslo in 2013.
“But whether he reads novels or political science books doesn’t matter to us as long as he remains behind bars”, she noted.
“It hurts to know that he can be accepted at University but it’s the way it is Norway (…) It hurts even more that the announcement comes just days before the commemoration”, four years after the attacks, responded the president of support group for families of the victims, Lisbeth Kristine Røyneland.
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Breivik’s lawyer was not immediately available for comment on the development.
