The darkest chapter in Norway's recent history came to a close, as judges delivered a sentence that is likely to see Anders Behring Breivik spend the rest of his life in prison, before they read out harrowing accounts of the gun and bomb attacks he perpetrated last year.
An Oslo court found that Breivik, whose twin assaults killed 77 people, was sane – the verdict that he and most Norwegians had wanted.
The conclusion of Norway's most high-profile judicial case for decades provoked immediate calls for the country to engage in a more rounded and open debate on multiculturalism.
Survivors and relatives welcomed the court's decision, saying they were now able to move on with their lives, 13 months after Breivik detonated a bomb in Oslo and embarked on a shooting rampage on Utøya island. More than half of those shot were teenagers.
The 33-year-old, who had earlier admitted the attacks that traumatised the peaceful country, smirked as the court's verdict was delivered. He was given the maximum sentence of 21 years, but with a "preventive detention" clause that means his time in jail can be extended as long as he is deemed a threat to society. It is unlikely he will ever be released.
In a final parting shot, clearly designed to offend, Breivik used his chance to address the court by apologising to "militant nationalists" across Europe, apparently for not killing more people during his two attacks. » | Mark Townsend in Oslo | Friday, August 24, 2012
