A Norwegian court was sentenced to doctors in 21 years in prison for rape and sexual abuse of dozens of women in a case that shocked the Scandinavian country.
Former GP Arne Bye was convicted of 70 count rape and sexual assault. He was also found guilty of 82 counts of abusing his position as a doctor, Norwegian media reports.
Almost all of the crimes have been done to patients while working as a doctor in the small town of Frosta, a small town of less than 3,000 residents near Trondheim on Norway’s west coast.
Goodbye was also prohibited from practicing medicine and ordered to pay compensation.
Warning: This story contains details.
Norwegian media said the court was deliberating on the lengthy charges.
Goodbye pleaded guilty to some of the crimes and was not guilty of many charges.
Speaking to a Trondheim court on Friday, Judge Espan Haug said the case was “very serious” and described Bai’s actions as “absolutely unacceptable.”
“The defendant’s actions took place in places and settings where people are supposed to feel safe,” Judge Haug said. “His actions have generally undermined public confidence in medical services, not just physicians.”
The 55-year-old defendant stood up and seemed calm and unmoved as the maximum sentence was reported.
The court was asked to sit down as it took more than an hour for the judgment to be read.
Health officials first warned police of concerns about BYE in August 2022 and were charged a year later.
According to Norwegian media, Bye had secretly set up cameras in his office. Police revealed the extent of his crime after reviewing hundreds of hours of footage.
Dozens of women, ages 14 to 67, reportedly came from a small rural community. The earliest complaints date back to the latest 2022, 2004.
The central part of this case was the method used for medical testing.
Over the course of four months, the court heard details of the unconsensual and inappropriate pelvic examinations conducted by BYE.
These acts constitute rape under Norwegian law, distinguishing between permeable and non-permeable rape.
Bye was also shown to have used non-medical devices such as deodorants during these tests, but doing so was not justified.
The defense attorney pleaded guilty to rape 21 victims and sentenced him to a low prison sentence of around 17-18 years.
Prosecutors told public broadcaster NRK they were happy with the verdict and they would consider the results before considering appeals.
Bye’s lawyers also said it would take a little time to properly read the verdict before considering whether to appeal.
If you are affected by this report’s issue, help and support is available on the BBC action line.
