– It’s a cruel case. The action she has taken is completely beyond, says Niklas’ mother Sebastian Olsen.
Two years ago, her 25-year-old son died of an overdose in Tromsø. Now a 20-year-old man, who was present with him, has been accused of violating his duty to help.
According to the indictment, he failed to help when Niklas was in clear danger of losing his life after taking a fatal morphine overdose in an apartment in Tromsø.
– My son could have been alive if he had received help. Instead, she chose to film, her mother writes to Dagbladet via her her counseling attorney Helen Annie Jenssen.
The case was first reported by the local newspaper northern Lights.
– Extremely sad
In the indictment, to which Dagbladet was granted access, it is alleged that Niklas was short of breath and was unconscious for over an hour as the defendant watched him. Instead of helping or asking for help, the man chose to film:
“Despite observing and filming Olsen who (…) had a very slow respiratory rate and foam coming (…) from the mouth of the deceased, he failed to help or ask Olsen for help. Olsen later died at cause of morphine poisoning”.
Annichen Eleonora Rye-Holmboe, defense attorney for the defendant, does not want to comment now.
Martha (15) died of an MDMA overdose
In front of the local newspaper northern Lights the man says there were several others present in the apartment with him that night. They are said to have reassured him that he did not need to call an ambulance.
– I see this as an extremely sad event. It was just a lot of coincidences that meant we didn’t notice he was cheating. I was in my world. It went very fast.
The defendant claims that he did what was in his power, that he was the only one who expressed concern for his partner’s condition.
When asked why he chose to film instead of help, he replies that Niklas has only slept on one film. He was said to have become worried during filming, according to the local paper, but others in the flat calmed him down.
A 16-year-old boy died
Niklas Sebastian Olsen is one of six young people who died of an overdose in central Tromsø in 2020 while others were present. In February 2020, Natalie (17) died of an overdose in a city center apartment. A 20-year-old man was charged, but the case was dropped.
Six months later, a 16-year-old boy died of an MDMA overdose in an apartment also located in central Tromsø.
A 27-year-old man was sentenced to 30 days in jail in April for not being quicker to call for help, he writes NRK extension.
In the past, such cases have been dismissed. The verdict in the latter case could lead to a change in practice, writes NRK.
– He could live today
In all six cases, there were people in the apartment who could have helped earlier. Also in the case of Niklas.
Huge decline: – A paradigm shift
– Here, the values must be crystal clear, the legal adviser of Niklas’ mother, Helen Annie Jenssen, tells Dagbladet. She points out that saving lives must always be paramount, whether you’re partying or speeding:
– The ER or the police are not focused on catching users when it comes to saving lives. In accordance with drug policy, not a single user case was created in these cases.
– There is an antidote. Niklas could have been alive today.
It took two years for the case to go to court. Legal aid attorney Jenssen thinks it took too long.
– It is not clear to me why it took so long, he says.
The case will go before the District Court of Nord-Troms and Senja on 5 and 6 January next year.
