Norway: Lawyer wants to resume witch trials that happened between 1450 to 1750

In Europe, witch trials took place between 1450 and 1750 in which about 100,000 people, mostly women, were accused of witchcraft. About 45,000 people were executed, usually burned at the stake, reported NRW. Jostein Loken, a lawyer and a partner in the law firm Elden AS, has now shown interest in the witch-burning that took place in his town Elverum in the year 1625.

Lawyer wants to resume witch trials

Ingeborg Knutsdatter Okset, her son and sister were sentenced to death and burned alive for witchcraft. Now, after 396 years, Lawyer Jostein Loken wants them to be acquitted. Loken has been collecting information about the history and fate of Ingeborg Okset and his family for a long time, NRW reported. Loken also wanted the witch trials resumed in the Norwegian judicial system. He aimed to get a verdict that witch-burning was wrong and that the women who were exposed to it had not done anything wrong.

Jostein Loken further stated that the victims of witchcraft should be given a "completely different, humane and just trial", Sputnik reported citing NRW report. Loken stated that Ingeborg Knutsdatter Okset, her son and sister were subjected to atrocities. He added that the trial has bothered him and it is unacceptable. Loken added that innocent women were exposed and burned at stake over witchcraft. For the case of Ingeborg Knutsdatter Okset, her son and sister, has contacted family of Ingeborg Knutsdatter Okset. He said that several people have already signed up, including her nine times great-grandchildren.

Historian and specialist in witchcraft and witchcraft trials in Norway Rune Blix Hagen has stated that it is a "demanding project." He stressed the importance of documents that existed at that time, Sputnik reported citing NRW report. Hagen mentioned that the project needs well-preserved sources and further added that the documents of that time might be lost. Hagen mentioned that about 800 names of Norwegian wizards and witches put on trial are known. Moreover, he suggested that the majority of them were women. Furthermore, Hagen informed that more than 300 of them were sentenced to death, which usually meant being burned alive at the stake. 

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