Comment: The police had to enter – needed time and space

It is important and right for the police to file a criminal case against Gert Ingebrigtsen. But it’s very important to keep your tongue straight about what it means and what it doesn’t mean.

This is a comment. The comment expresses the writer’s position

In two regions, the smoldering conflict surrounding Norway’s most famous family is now witnessing a development that could be of great importance moving forward. It is important to separate these two sides of the issue.

One segment is about the sporting consequences of an unresolved family situation. The question is, how can the tangle surrounding the seasonal arrangement be resolved? How do you reconcile the interest in the Ingebrigtsen brothers with Narve Gilje Nordås’ desire to have coach Gjert present on big occasions?

The situation has become so difficult and predicament that it may have been absolutely necessary to seek professional help.

The fact that a lawyer has been appointed for both the Norwegian Athletics Federation and Geert Ingebrigtsen/Narve Gelge Nordas can of course be seen as an escalation of the conflict. But the impact of lawyers’ entry can also have a constructive side.

Perhaps with the help of professional negotiators, there is a better hope of finding a mathematical solution that can work, than if the parties alone tried to find their way through a very difficult path.

Only time will tell if we succeed in negotiating something everyone can live with, but it will be worth the effort. It is a pleasure in itself that the atmosphere of dialogue after the first meeting is described as positive.

The second part gets to the core of the most painful and difficult matters, which are the circumstances within the Ingebrigtsen family. Here, the Sur-Veste Police District has now taken a step that is not surprising, but very crucial in order to move forward.

Jacob, Philipp and Henrik Ingebrigtsen have spoken publicly about their experiences of fear, discomfort and violence growing up. Geert Ingebrigtsen has categorically refuted these allegations, calling them baseless. In light of the current situation, it was logical and practical for the police to launch an investigation.

A criminal case has now been filed under Article 282 of the Criminal Code – Violence in Intimate Relationships – and Mette Yvonne Larsen has come as a legal assistant.

This transfer from the police certainly poses a burden on those involved, but first and foremost, it is right and respectful to everyone for the police to investigate the case to uncover the actual circumstances.

Opening an investigation does not mean accusing a person of a criminal offence, and it is important to remember the principle that in a state of law a person is innocent until proven guilty.

The task of the police now is to delve into the matter without color, as they must evaluate factors that may point in different directions with an objective eye.

It is also urgent that the media be fully aware of how to deal with a very difficult topic in the future. Distinguishing between what is private and what is of public importance is a difficult balancing act, and it is not necessarily easier now. Obviously the human burden is very high in this regard. It is understood that the Ingebrigtsen brothers need peace, while it is inevitable that further measures will be discussed.

However, it is now important that the police are given time and space to get to the bottom of the matter.

Through a thorough investigation – not through speculation and social media rumors – we hope to get the facts straight.

Until we know more, most people should breathe with their stomachs, while those who pursue high-level sports as a profession try to focus on running as fast as possible.