A Norwegian court will on Friday order a new psychiatric assessment of the man who admitted killing 77 people in twin bombing and shooting attacks - after criticism of an earlier appraisal that stated he was insane, the VG tabloid reported.
According to the VG tabloid, the court will appoint two psychiatrists to make a new mental examination of 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik, who in November was found by two court-appointed forensic psychiatrists to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, DPA reported.
The psychiatrists ruled that he needed psychological healthcare and should not be imprisoned. Their findings were later backed by a panel of psychiatrists and psychologists with the Norwegian Board of Forensic Medicine, sparking a national debate.
A court judge is expected on Friday to announce whether the court would order a second assessment of the killer's mental health.
Breivik admitted to detonating a bomb in a government district in Oslo that killed eight people on July 22 and later shot dead 69 others at a Labour Party summer camp on an island near the capital. He said his actions were to punish the government for its pro-immigration policies.
His trial will start in April. If the current assessment stands, Breivik would likely be kept in a secure mental facility. If he is found mentally fit, he could face up to 21 years in jail.
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