If, as many are theorizing, Marius Borg Høiby's continued contacts with the ex-girlfriend he recently assaulted are aimed at minimizing legal liability for his actions, then why did he issue a statement admitting his actions together with a statement from his lawyer that he (Marius) was acknowledging criminal guilt?
Besides, even if he could convince her to refuse to cooperate with the police, what legal benefit would there be to him at this point? As many have pointed out, the police still have ample corroborating evidence to rely on: her medical records, physical evidence from the crime scene, the testimony of the friend who called the police, and the testimony of two earlier girlfriends (and possibly their medical records, if he injured them as badly as he injured his latest girlfriend).
The logic answer to that IMO is that Marius (and even some other members of the NRF perhaps) are acting without consulting Marius/their lawyers. And perhaps because it has worked before.
Get the victim away from her friends, family and lawyer and manipulate her.
Also, it may be that Marius does not understand the trouble he is in - because he is entitled or because he has always gotten away with it and why shouldn't he get away with it this time as well.
Because Marius cannot understand the trouble he is in - because he is unable to view things from another person's and the general public's perspective. Either because he lacks empathy or simply cannot comprehend it intellectually.
Or Marius is unwilling to accept the trouble he is in. - Because it is my impression that abusers often see themselves as alpha-males who feel a need to act and deal with things, if need be by "correcting" someone. (As it was put in the movie Shining.) So remaining passive goes against the image he has of himself. And no one and certainly no lawyer should tell him what to do! - You get my point?
Neither the victim's lawyer nor Marius lawyer will publicly admit they are hopping mad. They will work on some sort of public damage control and admit to some sort of meeting between the parts, because that's undeniable. Marius lawyer is not going to say publicly that this was against his advise and that he wants to strangle Marius. The victim's lawyer is not going to say my client was manipulated to go against my instructions. Not yet...
But I'm willing to bet my favorite pair of slippers that Marius was talking non stop from the second he picked up this third victim until he finally dropped her off somewhere. What has he been saying?
If it was just a question of the victim getting her belongings the most sensible way in this situation would be for her to be accompanied by her lawyer and a member of her family or a close friend.
Call it male intuition, my gut feeling is that Marius has pulled this exact stunt before and gotten away with it.
The serious question is whether they went to Skaugum itself. That is guarded by soldiers, (as per the Se & Hør article) so you don't just get in there without at least being registered. Whether they met with Haakon, even if it was only a chance encounter in a corridor. And whether Mette Marit was involved in persuading the victim in meeting and being picked up by Marius.
That's why my head is buzzing right now!
The sad thing is that I can actually easily imagine Mette Marit getting involved behind the back of the lawyers. Because by all accounts she is a very protective mother and right now her oldest son is in the biggest trouble of his life, so a natural instinct/reaction for her
might be to do whatever she can to try and help her son in whatever way she can. Not out of malice towards the victim, but because her absolute main priority is to try and protect her son.
Remember how Snekkestad has talked about the abuse affecting her afterwards, which to me suggests that as soon the relationship broke up, so did the contact between Snekkestad and Mette Marit. And she
knew Snekkestad for years!
It could IMO be a classical case of "Snekkestad is in the past. Lets move on and not talk more about this."
But where is Haakon in all this? Is he involved? If so is it because he is a devoted husband who will support his wive and stepson beyond I dare say reason? Is it because he can't bring himself to not to support his wife, due to her no doubt being deeply upset right now combined with her illness? Or is it because he has a backbone of a mollusk and dare not stand up to his wife and protect her against herself, which is something a spouse ought to do?