Zaniar Matapour is charged with murder, attempted murder and terror after the mass shooting in Oslo.

He does not wish to be questioned by the police. He does not want to talk to the experts who will assess his mental health, and he has not revoked the health service’s duty of confidentiality.

This means that the police do not have access to his medical history.

It is for strength, says Christian Hatlo, police attorney in the Oslo police district.

– There is no doubt that this makes our work more difficult. We do not get the information. I would like to see that we had greater access in this type of case, says Hatlo to NRK.

He thinks one should consider whether the police should have access to the hospital in such serious cases.

Important history

One of the hypotheses the police work from is that Matapour is mentally ill and not criminally sufficient.

Continuing on that track can be difficult, if the aim does not abolish the duty of confidentiality.

– I understand that this is sensitive information. The vast majority should know that they can safely talk to the health service. But when it comes to murder and terror – maybe one should have had access? said Hatlo.

Defender of Matapour, lawyer Bernt Heiberg, says that there is a public document before it emerges that concern has been expressed about Matapour’s mental health.

Lawyer Christian Elden is also defending the case. According to him, before our talk about a schizophrenia diagnosis.

Psychiatrist Randi Rosenqvist explains to NRK why it is important for the police to gain insight into previous health history.

– It is important to see how other professionals have described the psyche for the purpose before, as well as what symptoms he has had. One needs history to understand the extent to which he has a serious mental illness, says Rosenqvist.

At the same time, she points out that the rules exist to protect patients.

Experts can gain insight

At the same time, even though the police cannot gain access, it is up to the experts to extract information from the health service.

Rosenqvist says that the experts can apply for access to medical history.

– If a person is charged with something that has a sentence of more than six years, forensic psychiatric experts can obtain health information, she explains.

But only if they themselves contact the institution or hospital where the people have been admitted. An overview of which persons have previously received treatment does not exist.

The experts must therefore find out for themselves whether a person has received treatment.

– One must look for information, yes, but if the aim has been bidding all one’s life in Oslo, then one does not look in Tromsø. It is unlikely that he has received treatment at other addresses than those that correspond to where he has bid, says Rosenqvist.

These are the experts

The experts who will assess the mental health of Zaniar Matapour have also been appointed.

Chief physician and specialist in psychiatry Synne Sørheim, Knut-Petter Sætre Langlo and Pål Grøndahl will find out whether Matapour is criminally sufficient or not.

Expert Pål Grøndahl is one of the most well-known forensic psychologists in Norway. He is also openly gay himself.

Synne Sørheim was one of those who originally hired an expert during the trial against Anders Behring Breivik.