Oslo’s Rising Youth Crime: Aksel Hennie Calls for Urgent Action to Combat Gang Violence

– I come from the east side and am used to seeing a tough environment. But the environment we see now is boundless.

That’s what Aksel Hennie, the man behind the critically acclaimed film “Uno” from 2004, says.

In the box office success, Hennie plays the young man David, who belongs to an organized, criminal bodybuilding environment in Oslo’s east side.

The movie poster for “Uno,” which was released 20 years ago.

Hennie, who is also from Oslo East, began writing the script after getting into trouble with the police himself. In 1996, he was sentenced to seven months of conditional imprisonment and had to pay a six-figure sum to NSB and Oslo Sporveier for tagging.

More than 20 years later, the actor believes that much has changed regarding youth crime and gang violence:

– If enormous measures aren’t taken against this, we will lose. We lose young people to crime. We lose young people to drugs, to violence.

Outraged Aksel Hennie on NRK News Morning about gang violence in Oslo: – Boundless

He calls for actions from politicians:

– I love my part of the city, but I feel that it’s going in the wrong direction.

– What should politicians do then?

– They need to take stronger actions. They need to care about our kids, Hennie replies.

Increased youth crime

Statistics from the police in 2023 confirm a negative trend in youth crime. The offenders are getting younger and the use of violence is increasing.

Oslo sees a particularly high increase, with a 76 percent rise in crimes committed by individuals under 15 years old.

– In general, there has been an increase in youth crime, says psychologist specialist at Bufetat, Harald Kanestrøm.

He is behind a new Norwegian doctoral study that has uncovered the factors driving youth into crime and shows how to prevent this through targeted measures.

Harald Kanestrøm is a psychologist specialist at Bufetat. He is also part of a research group at RKBU Midt-Norge and NTNU.

According to Kanestrøm, there is a complex interplay between individual-specific and environmental risk factors that increases the likelihood of violent and criminal behavior:

1. Poor self-regulation and aggression.
2. Exclusion and involvement in criminal environments.
3. Substance use.
4. Problematic family relationships.
5. Issues at school and lack of positive leisure activities.
6. Repeated offenses and experiences of violence.
7. 

   Masud Gharahkhani outside Ringerike prison.

   Photo: Jorunn Nilsen

Parliament President Masud Gharahkhani (Ap) today visited inmates and staff at Ringerike prison.

He agrees with Aksel Hennie about the need for strong measures:

– What is important is clearly that we strengthen the police so they can go after these criminal gangs, especially those at the top. The way they recruit vulnerable individuals is that they have status and money, and we need police resources to follow that up.

At the same time, he believes that the offerings for children and youth must improve:

– A policeman once told me, Masud if you are a single mother with three children living in a 50 square meter apartment. Where do you think the children grow up if they live in the middle of a city? It’s outside. Who are the role models there? Then we must ensure that there are low-threshold offerings that catch the children with good leisure opportunities, and not the criminal gangs. The correctional service must be part of the picture.

– From your perspective, are we going in the wrong direction or are we starting to turn it around?

– Youth crime has increased. It has become more serious and violent. We also see that these criminal gangs that exist in other countries have gained a foothold in Norway. I feel that political Norway has taken it seriously, but many things need to align for us to succeed with this.