It’s not been very nice to read the media today.
The doctor who treated Tjostolv when he was dying of malaria and who has tried to help Tjostolv the last couple of days, was arrested in court today. I don’t know at this point if he has been released. It said in the papers that the crowd cheered when it was suggested. This is discouraging. Is there no empathy? And who will help these boys when the people trying to help them get arrested? Doctor Lombale saved Tjostolvs life when he almost died of malaria that night.
But the Norwegian press is no better. Tjostolv is very sick at the moment. Don’t the media have any respect for a sick person? Especially the front cover of Dagbladet today was unworthy and at an all time low as you can possibly imagine. Imagine if you had a family member who is psychotic and then is placed on the front cover of a newspaper which is being sold all over Norway? I don’t even have words for the text that were written with the pictures. Doesn’t the Norwegian press think that Norwegians abroad deserve any kind of legal protection? Would they have filmed this and showed it if it happened in Norway?
The Moland and French families now ask the press to show more ethic responsibility and decency. They can show how sick Tjostolv is without sorting to means like the ones we saw in Dagbladet today. You can report tragic incidents like this with respect. Journalist Fredrik Græsvig actually asked himself some questions around this situation, and we appreciate that.
Today in Dagbladet Norwegian attorney Carl Bore makes some statements. He represents one of the girls in Bolivia. Two days ago I received a text message where he states almost exactly the same as in Dagbladet today.
My answer to him on October 20th was as follows:
“Dear Carl Bore. Thanks for your text message. Our families have made a conscious decision to have the same lawyers in Congo and in Norway.
We stand together in this case. When it comes to the so called witnesses I don’t believe them any more than little “Red Riding Hood” should’ve believed the wolf. It was by the way Joshua who was first pointed out as the killer by the so called witnesses. Apparently he shot the driver between the eyes. I’m glad that your client is out on bail. To be in prison abroad at such a young age must be especially hard. So congratulations with that”.
Bore thinks it’s been reckless and unethical that Tjostolv and Joshua have had the same lawyer both in Congo and in Norway. It can lead to a conflict of interest etc.
I can agree that if this trial was in Norway it would be different, but the trial is in Congo. In Congo I think that the best thing has been to have the same lawyer for the boys. The situation there is so unpredictable and difficult that we can’t risk having two lawyers who may fight between themselves, tell lies about the other ones client to the investigators, buy advantages for their own clients etc. When even the judges wants briberies it goes without saying that investigators and the prosecutors easily could be bribed to the advantage of one of them. Bore also says something that we in the Moland and French families don’t recognize: I quote: -“the problem will surface now that things are not so good between Moland and French”.
Things are still good between Moland and French. Tjostolv is sick and he is not sane at the moment. That includes everyone around him. It doesn’t mean that they are not friends anymore, or that they’ve split as a team. On the contrary: Joshua has taken exceptionally good care of his good friend Tjostolv and taken the extra burden it has been to take care of him the last couple of nights. Joshua has done his best for his friend and if it was Joshua that was sick Tjostolv would have done the best for him as well.
Bore goes on: -“I think because of the mandate that the mysterious person from Vinstra has given lawyer Furuholmen, that the families feel trapped to this situation”.
No, lawyer Bore. Both the families have made a conscious decision to have the same lawyer. My advice in this situation: It’s better not to make comments when there is just guessing, and rather stick to the facts...
Kari Hilde French October 21st 2009
