norway’s Most Risky Woman: A Daughter’s Accusations and a Controversial Inquiry
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A new documentary series and a daughter’s harrowing account are reigniting debate surrounding Elisabeth Aaslie, serving a 21-year sentence for two murders, and the methods used to secure her conviction.
Elisabeth Aaslie, currently seven years into her sentence, maintains her innocence despite being convicted of the murders of Øystein Hagel Pedersen, the father of two of her seven children, and her own father, Øyvind Terje Olsen. both victims, according to the court’s ruling, were poisoned. The case has captivated Norway, and a recent TV 2 documentary, “the Hunt for Norway’s Most Dangerous Woman,” is bringing renewed scrutiny to the police investigation.
A Controversial Undercover Operation
The documentary reveals an unusual investigative tactic employed by police: a female officer went undercover, cultivating a close relationship with Aaslie over nearly three years to gather evidence. Approximately 150 hours of audio recordings were collected during this period. Investigators initially focused on the 2002 death of Aaslie’s father, but lacked sufficient evidence to bring charges. However, information surfaced suggesting Aaslie had previously discussed detailed plans for carrying out a murder.
In a highly unusual move, authorities exhumed the body of Aaslie’s father 15 years after his death for forensic examination. “The coffin was retrieved, and a number of samples were taken, including soil samples, which almost never happens,” confirmed Hege Cathrine
klausen, Aaslie’s daughter, has come forward with disturbing allegations of abuse at the hands of her mother and reported her to the police in 2022, though the case was ultimately dropped. A pivotal moment, she says, occurred during a video call when Aaslie stated, “Julia, I’ve never hit anyone.”
“At that moment it dawned on me. It was like lightning from the sky,” Klausen recounted. “All the times she beat me up, until I thought I was going to die, it all came back. And then I realized: When you can look me in the eye and say that you have never hit anyone, then of course it is also possible that you have killed someone.”
Aaslie responded by stating she related to “what Julia said in questioning in 2017,” during the original trial. “She has previously told me that I have been the only security she has had, so this is just terribly sad. julia is my firstborn whom I love more than anything on this earth,” she said.
Legal Challenges and unanswered Questions
Aaslie’s defense attorney, Arvid Sjødin, strongly refuted Klausen’s allegations of abuse, claiming she had previously praised her mother during questioning in 2017. Klausen dismissed this, stating, “He says that everything I say is incorrect. And it is fine that they disagree with my opinions,but when a lawyer says that everything is incorrect,I think it is vrey wrong. He is a high-profile lawyer and thus I react to him having such a personal point of view.”
Klausen also criticized the documentary’s narrow focus, arguing it prioritized the undercover operation over broader contextual factors and the impact on the children involved. She believes the police failed to adequately address the children’s safety and rights, and asserts that authorities had a “duty to prevent” harm that they deliberately ignored, constituting a breach of the law. Prosecutor Terje Kaddeberg skaar declined to comment on Klausen’s criticism.
TV 2’s program director, Trygve Rønningen, explained that the documentary’s primary aim was to examine the controversial police method employed in the investigation. “We wanted to shed light on a controversial police method by showing how a secret agent was sent in who ingratiated himself, and in that way obtained evidence against Aaslie,” he stated.
The case of Elisabeth Aaslie remains a complex and deeply troubling one, raising questions about the limits of investigative tactics, the long-term consequences of trauma, and the enduring search for truth in the face of conflicting narratives.
