Gjert Ingebrigtsen Convicted of Assaulting Daughter, Cleared of Abuse Allegations by Olympic Champion Son

Gjert Ingebrigtsen, father and former coach of Jakob Ingebrigtsen who won gold in the 1500m at the Tokyo 2021 Games and in the 5,000m at the 2024 Paris Games, has been found guilty of hitting his daughter, Ingrid, but has been acquitted of abusing Jakob due to “reasonable doubt,” according to The Guardian.

The only punishment handed to Gjert was a 15-day suspended sentence and fine for hitting Ingrid in the face with a wet towel. Ingrid voiced in court that: “I got a hand in the face. He hit me in the face. It was fast and it was hard. It hurt.” A photograph of the mark left on Ingrid’s face helped her prove her case, and she also moved into voluntary foster care after the incident. As a result, Ingrid was awarded 10,000 kroner (£744).

However, prosecutors had called for Gjert to be imprisoned for 2.5 years due to his “regime of repeated [physical and verbal] abuse” against Jakob and his younger sister Ingrid.

Jakob was allegedly punched and kicked in the stomach by Gjert. He was allegedly abused over a 10-year period from when he was a schoolboy and threatened to be “beaten to death.” He claims to have also been “hit in the head several times by Gjert” and “one situation lasted 15 to 30 minutes.” Gjert also allegedly referred to Jakob as a “thug” and “terrorist.”

However, the Norwegian court found that “reasonable doubt” surrounded Jakob’s claims as some family members defended Gjert and others Jakob and Ingrid. In regard to being “hit in the head” for example, one of Jakob’s brothers defended him, but another expressed that Gjert actually pulled Jakob against a wall and yelled at him. Gjert himself conceded to being a demanding coach and father but denied all abuse.

The verdict was as follows: “Although Jakob and his brothers and spouses have given credible statements, the overall weight of the statements and other evidence that has been reviewed means that the court must conclude that there is reasonable doubt about the defendant’s guilt.”

Gjert’s lawyer, John Christian Elden, voiced: “There was no evidence that Gjert created a continuous fear in his children. Several close family members and outside witnesses have not seen or experienced abuse.”

The legal counsel for Jakob, Mette Yvonne Larsen, expressed that even though Jakob found the verdict “very strange,” it is clear that “both the little sister and Jakob are considered to be so credible, and that is positive,” according to The Guardian.

Jakob has 14 days to appeal but is reportedly keen to move forward.

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