In December 2020, just over a week before Christmas Eve, Yogathas Rasmanikcam and his wife Vijitha Yogathas lost their youngest son.
Dhenujen, the cheerful boy with the big smile, was only 13 years old. He was hit and killed while out walking on Haugenstua with two friends.
The trial against the man in his 30s who is accused of negligent homicide after the incident started today. The accused admits that he drove under the influence of drugs and without a driving license, but does not admit criminal guilt for negligent homicide.
– SCENE: The 13-year-old was hit at high speed in Maria Dehli’s road in Oslo. Photo: Jil Yngland / NTB
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For the family, it has been tough to meet the man and hear the details of the fatal December evening.
– We have been very afraid to appear in court, but it will also be good to get it over with, says Dhenujen’s big brother Thivakar Yogathas to TV 2.
The phone that changed everything
The parents remember well the phone call they received from the police right after seven o’clock in the evening.
– We went to the hospital right away. Doctors said he was seriously injured, Rasmanikcam said when he testified in court on Monday.
The day after the accident, the 13-year-old died of the serious injuries he had sustained.
At the same time as the parents realized that they did not get their son back, they were asked if the boy’s organs could be used for organ donation.
– He was a boy who always wanted to help others, so we just had to say yes, says the father.
– FLOWERS AND CANDLES: The local community arranged a memorial service for Dhenju shortly after his death. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB
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Dhenujen’s organs were distributed among three sick children.
– It is our only consolation. It is good to think that he may have saved the lives of others, says his brother.
Wanted to be a cop
During the trial, the father said that the small family had suffered a lot after the son’s death.
– Things no longer work at home. My wife has become ill and I can hardly work anymore. We feel weakened by the whole family, says Rasmanikcam.
– BLID: The family says that Dhenujen always had a big smile and talked to everyone he met Photo: Private
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He describes Dhenujen as a cheerful and family-loving boy.
– He was well-liked at school and enjoyed talking to everyone. He talked about becoming a police officer when he grew up, says his father.
The driver panicked
On the first day in court, the accused was given the opportunity to give his explanation. After driving on the 13-year-old, he drove away from the scene without stopping or calling the emergency services.
– It went so fast. I heard “thump thump”, then I panicked and drove on, the accused said during his explanation.
Just nine days before the accident, the man lost his driver’s license when the police found him intoxicated and asleep in the car with a flake of GHB in the car door.
The accused man in his 30s admits that he was the one who drove the 13-year-old boy, but denies criminal guilt for negligent homicide.
– He has always claimed that the boy suddenly went straight into the road in front of him. It has been supported by the investigation in retrospect, says the man’s defender, lawyer Harald Fjeldstad.
– DEFENDANT: The man’s defender Harald Fjeldstad believes it is a tragic accident. Photo: Petter Sørum-Johansen / TV 2
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– Terrible
The survivors find it particularly difficult that the accused does not admit guilt.
– It is terrible that he who did it ran away from the scene. It was a big mistake that he was abandoned that way. Our wish is that no one else will experience this, says Rasmanikcam.
Even though it is difficult to be in court, it is still important for the family to be present.
– It will be four long days in court now, but it will be good when there is finally a verdict, the brother of the deceased says.
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