Posted on 03/30/2006 5:43:35 AM PST by franksolich
Police and juvenile authorities had to be called out to a shopping center near Bergen this week, to take control over three drunken boys. The youngest of them was just 12 years old.
Bjørn Hagen of the Bergen police department is shaken over the incident. "It happens that we get calls about intoxicated youth, but not this young," he told avisen Vestnytt. "It's worrisome."
The boys were first approached by security guards at the Sartor shopping center in Fjell, outside Bergen. "They apparently got aggressive when they were spoken to," Hagen said. "We called their parents, who came and picked them up."
He said the juvenile authorities were called as a matter of routine. The boys were clearly intoxicated, according to the security guards.
Shopping center management was also upset over the incident. "It's tragic when such young children gain access to alcohol," said center leader Mette-Nora Sætre.
Meanwhile, in Oslo, an 18-year-old student at a local high school was convicted to 120 days in jail for carrying a loaded pistol around school property for several days last fall.
The student at Sogn Videregående Skole was also charged with use of narcotics, after being caught smoking hash in a police crackdown on drugs at the school. The gun fell out of his pocket while police were searching him last September 19.
Almost as worrisome as a moose bite.
Which should really frost your lutefisk...
Regarding the gun incident, doesn't Norway have strict gun-control laws, much like the rest of Europe?
Could've been worse. Could've been drunk moose.
Europe...especially the Nordic countries and Germany...aren't used to having 12 and 13 year old kids roaming the streets of small villages and drunk. I'm an American living in a 1000 person village in Germany...and in the past year...we've started to have a dozen kids between 12 and 14...drunk on the street at midnight. These are kids are being kicked out of school anyway..the parents can't control them. Their friends are helping them buy beer and wine...which is dirt cheap anyway. The locals are hyper about all of this and the cops really don't care to come out to some po-dunk village to pick up 13-year old kicks who are drunk. The kid goes downtown and the social office gets called. They want the parent to take the kid back...and the parent is tired of all the games.
I'm betting that the dozen punks we have now...will double in two years. Most of them are way out of control and they will have to enter some kind of security apparatus....half-way to a prison. I don't see much other options.
At least they aren't smoking cigarettes.
Musta been doing some Brokeback Shopping.
Well, just like everywhere else, just because possession of firearms might be illegal, that doesn't stop some people from having them, illegally.
As trite as it sounds, if guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.
Just because a rule is on the books doesn't mean everybody follows it.
I realize that, but I was just curious what the laws were like in Norway.
As far as I know, the gun-possession laws are fairly strict in Norway, but considerably less strict than in Old Europe and the European Union (neither to which Norway belongs).
In Finland, a member of the European Union, for example, about a year ago, Brussels ruled that Finns are not allowed to use firearms to protect themselves against wolves. Now one sees one of the reasons Norway is not a member of Old Europe.
There are several authentic Norwegians actually in Norway on the Norway ping list; perhaps one of them can answer this question, but remember the time difference.
I believe some knives are illegal to carry too. Its a difference between the knives used for outdoor and the stabbing knives. As for guns and rifle possession Norway ranks high.
The police are unarmed and most have a permit to carry guns in troublesome situations.
Not long ago a son shot down a car thief when he was driving their car heading against his father. Most of my friend were happy. Finally justice. WHATS MINE IS MINE!!!! If you wanted to take a chance on robbing me you may pay the ultimate penalty.
I am happy to inform you that we have quite relaxed laws in Norway concerning gun ownership. Some people says we may rival you in USA in guns per person, and that is just fine with me.
It dates back to the bad, old days, when the law stated that all adult men should have their own weapons. Those who did not have any, for some reason or another, was punished.
If you are 18 or older, you may own as many shotguns and hunting rifles as you like. (But not AK-47, M-16 and other automatic rifles, nor sub machine guns.)
If you are 21 or older and active member of a pistol club, you may purchase handguns, usually only one in each caliber. I own two and are thinking of buying more.
You are allowed to keep your guns in your home.
Please excuse my bad English.
Disambiguator: please see response above, from an authentic Norwegian actually in Norway. I hope this answers the question.
It's not like alcohol is illegal for 12-year-olds, is it?
Thank you for the information. I am pleased to know that not all of Europe has gone to the "dark side" regarding gun ownership.
"Please excuse my bad English."
You are light years ahead of some of the english speakers on this thread.
When I first reseached Norway a little over a year ago, I learned the Norwegians tend to be avid hunters--of what, I am not sure, because wildlife outside of pheasants and bison are alien to me.
Unless the internet web-sites distort the perception, it seems to me the most-popular hunting spots in Norway are in the "bulge" of the country, north of Oslo and Hamar.
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