A court in Norway has sentenced a doctor to 21 years in prison for the rape and sexual abuse of dozens of women, in a case that has shocked the Scandinavian country.
Former GP Arne Bye was convicted of 70 counts of rape and sexual assault, and also convicted of 82 counts of abusing his position as a doctor, Norwegian media report.
Nearly all of the offences took place during medical examinations that Bye carried out on his patients while he worked as a physician in the small town of Frosta, a tiny community of fewer than 3 000 residents.
Bye was also banned from practising medicine and ordered to pay compensation.
The lengthy indictment included allegations spanning nearly two decades relating to 94 women, reports the BBC.
Bye (55) pleaded guilty to some of the crimes, and was also acquitted on a number of the charges.
Judge Espen Haug described Bye’s actions as “absolutely unacceptable”, and which “happened in a place and setting where people are supposed to feel safe”.
Health authorities had first alerted the police to concerns about Bye in August 2022, and he was charged a year later. Media reports reveal that he had secretly installed a camera in his office – and police uncovered the scale of his offences after reviewing hundreds of hours of footage.
Dozens of women and children, reportedly aged between 14 and 67, from the small, rural community came forward. The earliest complaint dated back to 2004, the most recent from 2022.
Over four months, the court heard details of non-consensual touching and inappropriate pelvic examinations conducted by Bye.
These acts constitute rape under Norwegian law, which makes a distinction between penetrative and non-penetrative rape.
The defence attorneys had sought a lower sentence of around 17 to 18 years as Bye had pleaded guilty to the rape of 21 victims.
Prosecutors said they were satisfied with the verdict, and would review the outcome before considering any appeals.
BBC article – Norwegian doctor jailed for raping patients
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