Norwegian Prosecutors Want Breivik Declared Insane

Prosecutors asked an Oslo court on Thursday to declare Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik insane.

During the closing arguments of the trial against Breivik, who has admitted to killing 77 people last July but pled not guilty to murder and terrorism charges, Prosecutor Svein Holden said that while there have been doubts -- and conflicting court-ordered psychiatric reports -- regarding Breivik's sanity, it would be worse to put a psychotic person in prison than to send a sane person into psychiatric care.

Breivik has said that being declared insane would be the ultimate humiliation, because to send a political activist to an asylum is more sadistic and more evil than killing him! It is a fate worse than death.

The evaluation will determine whether Breivik serves time in prison or is institutionalized, likely for the rest of his life.

If the outcome is criminally sane or insane, that is first and foremost a psychiatric question, John Christian Elden, a lawyer for the families of the victims of the Oslo massacre, said as he waited the first psychiatric report in November.

The most important thing in our clients' opinion is that he will not be able to walk the streets.

Three out of four Norwegians consider Breivik sane enough for a jail term. Judges are expected to deliver a verdict in July or August.