The Kabul Tribune (KT) — According to Visegrad24, Norwegian police have charged a 34-year-old Afghan man with the murder of his Norwegian partner after she died from severe injuries, a case that has reignited debate in Norway over domestic violence prevention and police handling of repeat offenders.
Police responded to reports of an injured woman at a
residence in the Jæren region of southwestern Norway on July 26, 2026, where
they found Marn Sømme critically injured. She was alive when taken to hospital
but died the following day, July 27, 2026.
Her 34-year-old partner, an Afghan national, was arrested on
the day of the incident. He was initially charged with attempted murder, but
prosecutors upgraded the charge to murder after Sømme died. Police said the two
were in a romantic relationship.
On July 28, 2026, a court ordered the suspect to remain in
pretrial detention for four weeks, with restrictions on visits and
communications. His defense lawyer appealed the decision, arguing that the
court had failed to properly assess the evidence.
Police said they received a preliminary forensic report on July
29, 2026, but declined to disclose its findings because the investigation is
ongoing. Investigators also confirmed that several items had been seized from
the scene but did not provide further details.
The suspect has denied the murder charge.
His lawyer, Arvid Svedin, said his client claims Sømme
suddenly suffered a medical emergency and stopped breathing. According to the
lawyer, the suspect shouted for help and asked a neighbor to call an ambulance.
The defense also argued that bruises previously found on
Sømme's body resulted from an earlier fall down a staircase, a claim that has
not been confirmed by police.
Police said the suspect made statements following his
initial arrest but chose not to answer further questions after the charge was
upgraded to murder.
Days before her death, Sømme sought medical treatment after
bruises were found on her body.
Police opened a domestic violence investigation on July 17,
2026, and arrested her partner. Prosecutor Fredrik Soma said both individuals
were questioned, but the suspect was later released because the legal
requirements for continued detention were not met.
That investigation was still ongoing when Sømme was later
found with fatal injuries. Police said the couple's relationship history and
the previous domestic violence case now form part of the murder investigation.
The family's lawyer, Brage Nordgård, described the killing
as a "predictable tragedy," saying the victim had not received the
protection she needed before her death.
According to court records, the suspect moved to Norway with
his family in the early 2000s and has lived much of his life in the Jæren area.
In 2019, he was sentenced to one year and two months in
prison for repeated violence against a former partner and several related
offenses.
The court found that he assaulted the woman multiple times,
extinguished a cigarette on her face, attacked her with metal knuckle weapons,
violated a restraining order, damaged her property and threatened her. The
ruling described the relationship as marked by sustained violence and
controlling behavior.
He was also convicted of making threats, property damage,
theft, illegally carrying a knife and an axe, and driving under the influence.
The suspect denied the abuse allegations at the time, but
the court convicted him based on witness testimony, photographs and other
evidence.
He had also been convicted in 2017 in a separate domestic
abuse case involving another former partner, although that conviction was later
overturned on appeal because of insufficient evidence.
The suspect's release after the earlier domestic violence
investigation has become a major point of public debate in Norway.
Police said they understand the questions raised about
preventive measures but are currently focused on the homicide investigation.
Officials said they would review and explain their decisions once the
investigation progresses.
Norway's independent police oversight body also said it
currently sees no grounds to open a separate investigation into police conduct
but is closely monitoring developments.
