Man charged in Jæren killing after prior release

Police in Sør-Vest district have charged a 34-year-old man with the murder of Maren Sømme, 30, found fatally injured at a Jæren address on Sunday, Dagbladet reports.

The suspect, who denies guilt, was previously arrested on 17 July on suspicion of assault against Sømme and later released. Police have declined to explain why he was freed or what preventive measures were considered.

“We understand questions are being raised about what, if any, preventive steps police assessed in this case,” police prosecutor Fredrik Martin Soma said. “These questions will have to wait. Our main focus now is the ongoing homicide investigation, which includes the history between the accused and the victim.”

The suspect has given only a preliminary statement, claiming Sømme fell down stairs and injured herself a week before her death. He has refused further questioning this week, and police have no plans to re-interview him.

His defence lawyer, Arvid Sjødin, maintains the man denies any violence. The victim’s family lawyer, Brage Nordgård, has described the killing as a foreseeable tragedy.

Police continue forensic work at the Nærbø property, which remains cordoned off. A preliminary autopsy has been completed, but findings are being withheld pending further investigation.

The suspect, an Afghan national who arrived in Norway in the early 2000s, was remanded in custody for four weeks with restrictions on communication. He has appealed the decision. He was previously convicted of violence against former partners in 2017 and 2019, with one conviction later overturned on appeal.

Norway’s Special Unit for Police Cases stated it has not opened its own inquiry, but is monitoring developments.