Woman charged with serious bodily harm after brutal attack in Steinkjer, Norway

The violent incident has unsettled residents in the peaceful neighborhood of Steinkjer. A woman in her 70s was brutally attacked in her own home. Authorities apprehended the suspect, a woman in her 30s, who has now been charged with serious bodily harm. On Wednesday, the elderly victim was interviewed for the first time by the police and later presented for detention at Steinkjer District Court, where she maintained her innocence.

The police were dispatched to the scene shortly after 5 PM on Monday. The suspect was found hiding in the closet of the elderly woman’s apartment around 6:30 PM. Reports indicate that the injured woman managed to reach her neighbor, Bjørg, who described the scene as chaotic. “There was blood everywhere; on her clothes, her face, all over,” Bjørg recounted, unsure of what had transpired. The victim told her that she had been attacked while sleeping in a chair—restricted with a chokehold and stabbed with a sharp object.

The elderly woman sustained multiple stab wounds and was subsequently hospitalized. Authorities are investigating whether the attack was premeditated, as the victim appears to have been a random target. Prosecutor Åsta Elden noted the need for time to explore the motive behind the actions and the suspect’s presence in the victim’s apartment.

The police requested to detain the suspect for two weeks with restrictions on communication and visitation for the first week. According to authorities, there is no known relationship between the suspect and the victim. The suspect reportedly does not remember the incident, and both the police and the victim perceived her as under the influence of substances at the time.