Criminal Code of the Kingdom of Norway (1902, as amended 1994) (excerpts related to hate crimes) (English)
(unofficial translation, emphasis added)
Criminal Code of the Kingdom of Norway
Excerpts from General Criminal Code (Act of 22 May 1902 No. 10 as subsequently amended, most recently by Act of 1 July 1994 No. 50)
Aggravating circumstances for assault
§ 228. Any person who commits violence against the person of another or otherwise assails him bodily, or is accessory thereto, is guilty of assault and shall be liable to fines or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.
If the assault causes injury to body or health or considerable pain, imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years may be imposed, but not exceeding five years if death or serious injury results.
If an assault is retaliated with another assault, or is provoked by a previous assault or insult, it may go unpunished.
A public prosecution will only be instituted when requested by an aggrieved person unless:
(a) the felony has resulted in someone's death, or
(b) the felony is committed against the offender's previous or present spouse or cohabitee, or
(c) the felony is committed against the offender's child or the child of the offender's spouse or cohabitee, or
(d) the felony is committed against the offender's kin in the direct line of ascent, or
(e) the prosecution is required in the public interest.
§ 229. Any person who injures another in body or health or reduces any person to helplessness, unconsciousness or any similar state, or who is accessory thereto, is guilty of occasioning bodily harm and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, but not exceeding six years if any illness or inability to work lasting more than two weeks or any incurable defect or injury is caused, and not exceeding eight years if death or serious injury to body or health results.
§ 230. The penalties specified in sections 228 and 229 may be increased by up to 50 per cent if the offender has previously been convicted of any felony of a violent nature.
§ 231. Any person who causes or is accessory to causing serious injury to the body or health of another person is guilty of occasioning grievous bodily harm and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years. If the act is premeditated, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 21 years may be imposed if the felony results in a person's death.
§ 232. If any felony mentioned in sections 228 to 231 is committed with intent in a specially painful manner or by means of poison or other substances which are highly dangerous to health, or with a knife or other specially dangerous instrument, or under other especially aggravating circumstances, a sentence of imprisonment shall always be imposed, and for a felony against section 231 a term of imprisonment not exceeding 21 years may be imposed in every case and otherwise the penalty may be increased by up to three years. The penalty prescribed in section 228, first paragraph, may, however, only be increased by up to six months' imprisonment, while at the same time fines may still be imposed. In deciding whether other especially aggravating circumstances exist, special regard shall be paid to whether the offence has been committed against a defenceless person, whether the offence was motivated by the victim’s color of the skin, national or ethnic origin, religion, belief, homosexual orientation or disability, whether it was unprovoked, whether it was committed by several persons jointly, and whether it constitutes ill treatment.
Aggravating circumstances for vandalism
§ 292.The penalty for serious vandalism shall be fines or imprisonment for a term not exceeding four years. An accomplice shall be liable to the same penalty. In deciding whether the vandalism is serious, special regard shall be paid to whether the damage is considerable, whether the offender has knowingly caused material loss or endangered any person's life or health, whether the offence was motivated by the victim’s color of the skin, national or ethnic origin, religion, belief, homosexual orientation or disability or whether the damage has been committed against a boundary mark on the border of a neighbouring State or against a public monument, collection or other object which is intended for general use or decoration or has historical, national or religious significance for the public or a large number of people.