Investigation expands into allegations against Arne Bye in Frosta, Norway

The investigation surrounding Arne Bye, the former municipal doctor of Frosta, has taken a significant turn. Bye is facing charges of sexual assault involving 88 women, with an additional eight women included as victims in the case.

According to the lead investigator, Eivind Gulseth, the police have closed 99 cases related to this investigation before forwarding it to the State Attorney. Last week, State Attorney Eli Nessimo confirmed that 15 cases were also dismissed upon review. In total, 114 cases have been closed.

The depth of the Frosta case has heavily impacted many women, with police seizing over 6,000 hours of video footage that has identified more than 150 women. Several factors contributed to closing these cases; 85 were dismissed due to the statute of limitations, while four were closed due to lack of evidence. Additionally, eight cases were dismissed owing to the absence of criminal activity, and two were closed outside of criminal proceedings.

Coordinating legal aid attorney Tove Røddesnes stated that many victims are struggling with the closure of their cases, particularly those dismissed due to the statute of limitations. She emphasized that the closure does not negate the reality of criminal activities in those cases. Despite the legal presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the volume of cases closed illustrates the extensive nature of the allegations before the charges were filed.

Defending attorney Erlend Hjulstad Nilsen has reiterated that Bye has consistently denied any wrongdoing and highlighted the seriousness and scale of the charges he faces.