Senior Norwegian politician abused his power to convince asylum seekers to have sex with him, court finds

Svein Ludvigsen told vulnerable refugees he could deport them if they refused his demands for sex, judge hears

Svein Ludvigsen, 72, lied to vulnerable refugees saying he had the power deport them if they refused his demands for sex, a judge heard (AFP/Getty Images)

One of Norway’s most prominent politicians has been convicted of abusing his power to force three young men seeking asylum in the country to have sex with him.

Svein Ludvigsen, a former fisheries minister and a regional governor, was sentenced to five years in prison for exploiting the men’s vulnerability and compelling them to have sex.

Over the course of the trial, the court heard testimony that Ludvigsen, 72, gave the men the false impression that as governor of the district of Troms he had the power to decide people’s asylum status.

The court reached its decision Wednesday and announced it Thursday.

The abuse of the three men took place between 2011 and 2017. One of them said he was 17 when he first met Ludvigsen. Another said he had an intellectual impairment.

The victims, now in their 20s and 30s, told the court that Ludvigsen had convinced them he could either deport them or secure their permanent residency in Norway, depending on how they responded to his demands for sex.

Human rights groups said the abuse exposed at the trial represents an extreme example of a wider problem of mistreatment of newcomers in Norway, a country that promotes its credentials as a world leader in human rights.

Asylum-seekers are often left in limbo while they await decisions on their cases. Their advocates said they hoped the trial raised greater awareness of their plight.

“The verdict is important, and shows the vulnerability of young unaccompanied asylum-seekers and refugees,” said Ann-Magrit Austena, general secretary of the Norwegian Organization for Asylum Seekers. She called Ludvigsen’s actions a “violent breach of trust.”

Ludvigsen was the fisheries minister in a centre-right government from 2001 to 2005 and served as the appointed governor of Troms, in Norway’s far north, from 2006 until he retired from politics in 2014.

The court also ordered Ludvigsen to pay his victims damages totaling 743,000 Norwegian kroner (about £70,000).

Ludvigsen’s lawyer, Kai Vaag, said his client would appeal the conviction. His prison term would not start until the appeal process is completed, which is not expected until the end of the year at the earliest.

New York Times