Two Lithuanian citizens were sentenced to five years in prison each in Reykjavík District Court on Friday for brutally raping a woman in downtown Reykjavík in November 2007. It is the longest conviction for rape in Iceland’s criminal history.
“Since there were two of them, they were given longer sentences,” district attorney Sigrídur J. Fridjónsdóttir told 24 Stundir. “They also had a criminal record and caused the victim psychological damage, which is always the case in crimes like these. The attack was brutal and the men cooperated, so one could say it was premeditated.”
Stígamót, Icelandic Counseling and Information Center for Survivors of Sexual Violence, is pleased with the ruling. “We are always pleased when someone is convicted in a rape case and when rapists are made to suffer the consequences of what they did,” said Thórunn Thórarinsdóttir of Stígamót.
“We wonder whether this case indicates what will come and whether the courts are sending out the message that prison sentences for rape are becoming longer. If that is the case, we are naturally pleased,” Thórarinsdóttir said.
The victim is entitled to ISK 2 million (USD 31,000, EUR 21,000) in compensation, which is the highest amount that a rape victim in Iceland’s criminal history has ever been entitled.
The ruling is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
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