Kenneth Glad
She expected the official notice to explain the next stage of his sentence. Instead, it told her that a separate police report against her had already been dismissed.
A Norwegian rape survivor who identified the man convicted of attacking her later learned that he had reported her to police, writes Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.
Emma Røsand, 25, had posted publicly about being raped and named Pablo, the man convicted in the case.
Publicly identifying someone after a sexual violence case can create difficult legal and ethical questions, especially when victims describe their experiences while others claim exposure has led to threats or harassment.
Røsand received the notice through Digipost, a digital channel used by Norwegian authorities. She first thought it might concern when Pablo would begin serving his prison sentence.
Instead, the message said she had been reported for “reckless conduct.” The case had already been dismissed though.
Police found no basis
“I felt a real stab in my heart,” she told the paper. After seeing that police had dropped the matter, she said: “I actually just started laughing.”
Røsand was not initially told who had filed the report. She requested access to the case and later learned that Pablo had made the complaint.
Oslo police confirmed to the outlet that the report was dismissed on June 15. In the written decision, police said there was no reasonable basis to investigate whether a criminal offense had occurred.
Police inspector Per Thomas Omholt told the paper that people reported to police are informed during an investigation, but not always at the outset.
The conviction was final
The rape case itself had already ended in a final conviction. Even though Pablo denied criminal guilt throughout the proceedings, the court rejected his account.
Oslo District Court described the violence as especially brutal and said it had sadistic features, citing choking, death threats and Røsand’s fear that she would die.
Pablo was sentenced to four years in prison and was ordered to pay about €25,650 in compensation.
His appeal was rejected, and Norway’s Supreme Court later refused to hear the case.
Pablo cited harassment
Pablo told Dagbladet that he did not want to answer questions about the assault. He said he reported Røsand because he and his relatives had received threats and harassment after he was named online.
“I have done this for the sake of my family,” he said.
Røsand has said she does not regret speaking publicly, even though the attention forced her to relive the attack and brought weeks of stress.
She said many women have privately shared their own experiences with her. For her, the dismissal may reassure others who fear consequences after telling their stories.
“This has been extremely scary, and I have been very alone. After I chose to be open, I have actually been much less alone,” she said.
Sources: Dagbladet
