A man has admitted to a brutal knife attack on his ex-girlfriend at her workplace in Oslo. The trial at Oslo District Court revealed a disturbing pattern of obsession and premeditation. The defendant, a 28-year-old man, is charged with the attempted murder of his Italian ex-girlfriend, Martina Voce, and bodily harm against her new boyfriend and colleague, Oliver.
The attack occurred at the 'Smak av Italia' grocery store at the Vulkan area in Oslo on December 20 last year. The man confessed to stabbing Martina approximately 30 times, with over 20 wounds to her head. He described himself as possessive and jealous during his testimony. He stated he felt he had to either take his own life or Martina's, telling the court, 'I don't recognize myself that I could think like that, but that's how it was.'
Prosecutors presented evidence of chilling internet searches made in the months and days leading up to the assault. These included queries like 'Should i go to ex girlfriend work place?' in November and, just days before the stabbing, 'hata skjer med en persons eiendom og egenkapital hvis man blir tatt for mord?' – asking what happens to a person's property and equity if convicted of murder.
According to the prosecution, the man purchased a hunting knife from a Biltema store merely an hour before seeking out Martina at her job. When asked why he chose that specific knife, he replied, 'I thought it was sharp.' He told the court a store employee suggested the knife after he said he needed it for 'nailing.'
The defendant claimed to remember little from the day, stating, 'I was at work. In the lunch break it came, 'you have to do it'.' He expressed being shaken by discussing the events. Surveillance footage showed him outside the building before entering. He apologized to the victims, saying, 'I have no words to express how sorry I am for what I have done.'
He described the attack itself as both impulsive and prepared. 'On one side it was impulsive, on the other side I had set it up,' he said. He recounted a final interaction where Martina told him his questions were none of his business and that he could shop in the store. 'I took the last rejection as the last drop. It overflowed. I did the terrible thing, I stabbed her when she turned away. I blacked out.'
Oliver, Martina's boyfriend, testified about intervening. He described ending up on the floor with the assailant, picking up a knife, and stabbing the attacker in the neck in an effort to stop the assault. He then found Martina on the bloody floor and applied pressure to her wounds until an ambulance arrived. Oliver was also stabbed during the ordeal.
This case highlights severe issues of intimate partner violence and poses serious questions for Norwegian authorities. The level of premeditation shown through internet searches and the purchase of a weapon contrasts with the defendant's claims of impulsivity. Norway generally reports lower rates of violent crime than many nations, but such extreme incidents of gendered violence trigger national conversations about prevention, stalker laws, and support systems. The court will now weigh the detailed confession against the horrific nature of the acts as it moves toward a verdict.