Abuse in sektmiljö be seen in Norway.

Authorities in the north of Norway investigating a large sedlighetshärva, where, among other people in a religious sect accused of rape and child abuse.

Police in the northern Norwegian county of Nordland is investigating a large tangle, which include child victims of sexual abuse. A man is suspected of rape against several women. Abuse have been going on for years. Arkivbild.Image: Gorm Kallestad/NTB/TT

the Tangle was riksbekant in the summer when eleven people appeared in the newspaper VG Weekend, and told me about things they have experienced or witnessed. The ills have been in decades. Two cases has in the past led to a conviction, but the criminal allegations that are being investigated now be seen in a larger context.

According to the VG is all the respondents are the sami. The police confirms that it also is related to the resistance to trosinriktningen. They involved living in isolation in the municipality of Tysfjord, south of Narvik, which receive criticism for not having mäktat to manage the alarms on vulnerable children.

Then the VG’s disclosure in June, the commission has grown, including the brottsanmälningar from the 2010 and 2013 been taken up to renewed investigation. Now encompasses the tangle 56 sedlighetsärenden, and the police consider that more may come. Since the beginning of december is a man in his 50s in custody, suspected of the rape of four women.

There are elements of abuse of position of trust. The police are talking about “patterns” in the abuse.

– Okultur, summarizes Stig Morten Løkkebakken at the police in Salten for the news agency NTB.

Police expect to 27 alleged victims and 38 perpetrators. In three cases, people have spoken out for the VG have been threatened. In addition, the assembly is reported to have failed to report suspected crimes.

As lulesamer is the population of Tysfjord in the minority also among Norway’s sami people. This is according to VG the whole picture of the violations and negligence from government side that the sami people have been subjected to through the years, including the linguistic.

the Two establishments that offered their help – one of them is called the Sanks and has the sami expertise of mental ill-health – have felt rejected by the municipality.

The eleven people who commented to VG has, according to the newspaper received professional help, but when the municipality set up a helplines, there were few who called. One of the interviewees explained why shame and tystnadskultur got her to “put a lid on”:

” I was afraid of who would be at the other end. It could be a relative or an acquaintance.

the Facts: Læstadianism

Laestadianism was founded as a revivalist movement in Sweden by the priest Lars Levi Laestadius (1800-1861). As well as in Sweden, the focus in Norway have remained in the protestant majoritetskyrkan, why the number of followers is difficult to calculate.

Strong emphasis is placed on syndabekännelse and the remission of sins. At large meetings can sometimes the individual members present ecstatic expressions as “liikutuksia” (Finnish for movements).

In the present day are followers in Norway, Sweden, Finland and north America. The movement is heavily in decline.

The strictest interpreters opt out of secular music, and expressions of modern culture such as fashion, tv and comic books.

Sources: Encyclopedia, news agency NTB and VG (Verdens Gang).