Evil: 39 Capital Cases Reveal Norway's Death Penalty History
Author Torgrim Sørnes documents 39 capital cases that resulted in death sentences in Norway between 1815 and 1876
Torgrim Sørnes' book Ondskap: de henrettede i Norge 1815–1876 explores one of Norway's most controversial chapters in legal history through 39 documented capital cases that ended in death sentences.
A Dark Period in Norwegian Justice
Between 1815 and 1876, Norwegian courts handed down death sentences in 39 capital cases. Through his analysis of these trials, Sørnes paints a detailed picture of Norwegian criminal law in practice — the legal arguments made, the judicial processes followed, and the social conditions that shaped a period when people were sentenced to death by the state.
For an international audience, it is worth noting that Norway today is among the countries most firmly opposed to capital punishment, having abolished the practice entirely. This book examines the era before that abolition, when execution was still a legal reality.
Legal History as True Crime
The work is categorised as legal history, an in-depth study of death penalty history, and historical narrative. It serves as a thorough documentation of how the justice system operated and which individuals were condemned to death during this era.
Books of this kind occupy an important space within true crime literature, offering readers not just individual stories of crime and punishment, but a broader understanding of how societies have historically used the ultimate penalty. Sørnes brings rigorous documentation to cases that might otherwise be lost to history.
