The trial at Sør-Rogaland District Court in Sandnes is being closely followed by a large press corps. When everything got underway on Monday, the daughter's lawyer reacted to the presence of "influencers and Tiktok people" in the courtroom.
Nothing should be posted on Tiktok. Otherwise, I will ask for closed doors, says prosecutor Mette Yvonne Larsen.
"Brutally thrown out"
The daughter has requested anonymity in media reporting, and Gjert Ingebrigtsen himself does not want to be photographed.
We just want to stay updated on what's happening, says Chris André Formo and Tobias Asheim, who run the "Guttavibezz" account, to the newspaper VG.
This is a big case. We reach a younger audience than those who read newspapers. We wanted to see if this was something for us to keep the younger ones updated, but then we were brutally thrown out.
The duo had no understanding for the lawyer's view that nothing should be published on Tiktok.
It's important that the younger ones understand the seriousness of such a case, but it may be that she thought we would do something unserious with it. That was not our intention.
Mette Yvonne Larsen:
Tiktok is not controlled by editors, and we are afraid that videos will be posted there. It has nothing to do with public education, says the prosecutor to journalists during a break, but emphasizes that no videos have been published on the platform yet.
Track coach Gjert Ingebrigtsen, who still denies any wrongdoing, is on trial for assault and abuse of his daughter and son Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who has double Olympic Games and World Championship gold medals outdoors.
This after the Ingebrigtsen brothers Jakob, Henrik, and Filip told in a chronicle in VG in October 2023 about physical violence and threats as part of their upbringing.
"Still a father"
The chronicle was also read out by prosecutor Angjerd Kvernenes during the first day of the trial.
This is not a case about how far a coach can go to motivate or pressure an athlete. Even if you are a coach, you are still a father, says Kvernenes.
Then she also recounted Martin Ingebrigtsen's story about not fearing his father in the same way as the brothers described it.
Gjert Ingebrigtsen can, if convicted, be sentenced to up to six years in prison.
Track coach Gjert Ingebrigtsen is on trial for assault and abuse of a daughter and son Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who has double Olympic Games and World Championship gold medals outdoors and holds, among other things, the world record in the 3,000 meters outdoors.
In the absence of evidence or statute of limitations, no crimes against any other siblings are included in the indictment.
The trial is scheduled to last until May 16.
Monday and parts of Tuesday will be devoted to the prosecutor's presentation of evidence. Starting Tuesday, Jakob Ingebrigtsen will be heard for one and a half days.
Gjert Ingebrigtsen will be heard for three days during the second week of the trial.
