Trial begins in Oslo stabbing death of social worker

The trial of an 18-year-old man accused of stabbing a 34-year-old social worker to death in Oslo opens Monday, according to a statement from the victim’s family lawyer released Friday in Dagbladet.

Djordje Wilms is charged with the August 2025 killing of Tamima Nibras Juhar, who was found dead at a supported housing facility for vulnerable youth where she worked and Wilms resided. Prosecutors allege Wilms stabbed Juhar at least 69 times in the Kampen district of Oslo.

The victim’s brother, Anwar Nibras Juhar, is expected to testify about the impact of the killing on the family. Tamima Juhar had lived with her brother and his children for the three years before her death, and he remains the only family member residing in Norway. Her mother, based in Ethiopia, will follow the trial via video link, while two sisters and the victim’s eldest nephews plan to attend in person.

In a statement, family lawyer Anette Skjerven Ankværn said the trial would “awaken painful and traumatic memories” of the shock following the attack, which police initially described as racially and ideologically motivated. While the family does not expect new revelations—Wilms has admitted to the killing—they seek “some explanation of how and why such a young man could carry out such a brutal and unnecessary act.”

The family’s primary concern, according to the lawyer, is how the killing occurred at all, questioning whether it could have been prevented had the child welfare agency and the facility’s operator, Gemt AS, not “failed so fatally.” These questions, the statement notes, will not be addressed in the criminal trial.

Prosecutors have confirmed the attack was premeditated, citing evidence including Wilms’ online purchase of a hunting knife, marching boots, and cargo pants a week before the killing. A diary found at the scene will also be presented. While Wilms initially faced terrorism charges, prosecutors later dropped that allegation, though they maintain the killing was politically motivated.

The case has drawn national attention. Following the attack, around 30,000 people gathered in Oslo for a memorial march. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre called the killing a shock to the nation, expressing condolences to Juhar’s family, colleagues, and the Muslim community.

An investigation by Norway’s Labour Inspection Authority found serious lapses at the Gemt facility, including inadequate risk assessments for violence, insufficient lone-worker safeguards, and poor training for staff facing potential threats. Gemt AS remains under investigation for possible violations of workplace safety laws.