Two teenage girls charged with aggravated criminal damage following the major fire at Løten lower secondary school last year refused to give evidence in court if Document was allowed to be present.

This is reported by NRK from Hedmarken and Østerdal District Court. Defence counsel Mette Yvonne Larsen asked for Document to be removed or for the entire case to be heard behind closed doors.

– I do not trust that website. I know them quite well. If the reporting restriction is breached, the damage has already been done, Larsen said in court.

The District Court decided to close the proceedings to all media during the defendants’ testimony. Document editor Hans Rustad reacted strongly to the allegations.

– I am a little shocked because Mette Yvonne Larsen has said that we would probably not respect the reporting restriction. She has no basis for saying that. We are not that stupid, Rustad said.

The fire in August last year completely destroyed the 1,270-square-metre administration building, causing NOK 48.5 million in damage. The girls plead not guilty.

Document’s editor Hans Rustad is now being interviewed by Norway’s state broadcaster NRK about the case.