In the middle of Norway’s Constitution Day celebrations, a group of teenagers with immigrant backgrounds kicked and punched a graduate in blue overalls in central Bergen. The police have now submitted their recommendation.

The three boys charged over the brutal assault admit criminal liability, police prosecutor Linn Mari Søfteland confirms to NRK.

– Two of the three boys charged admitted criminal liability immediately. One of them has now done so.

Videos and images of several boys kicking and punching the graduate while he lay on the ground quickly spread on social media. Jon Helgheim of the Progress Party (FrP) was reported to the police for sharing unblurred images on social media. The case was dismissed.

Three were indicted for the violence. The fourth boy who was present during the violent incident is not taking part in the criminal proceedings. Søfteland proposes that the case against this boy be dismissed.

– I can see from the video that he does not commit any violence. Nor, in my view, does his conduct at the scene provide grounds for attaching criminal liability to him.

The public prosecutor will make the final decision, which is expected shortly.

The police have not wished to go into detail about what happened in the minutes before the attack. In other words, no mitigating circumstances have been presented. The injured graduate in blue overalls claims that the attacks were entirely unprovoked.

Jørgen Riple, defence counsel for one of the boys charged, claims, however, that the incident was not unprovoked.

– I cannot go into the details now, but my client has explained that there was an incident beforehand which we hope and believe the police will investigate. We shall then see what significance it has.

The defence counsel does not mention what kind of provocation could justify such serious violence.