Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg urged parliament Monday to preserve the democratic values of Norway as public pressure grew for stiffer sentences for serious crimes after an anti-immigration zealot's bloody rampage.
In a poll of nearly 1,300 people taken six days after the attacks that left Norwegians devastated, 65.5 percent said penalties were "too low" and 23.8 percent were happy with them, the Verdens Gang paper reported. More than half said their view had hardened since the mayhem that claimed 77 lives.
Anders Behring Breivik, 32, who confessed to the July 22 bombing in Oslo and shooting spree on a nearby island, was charged by police with terrorism which carries a sentence of up to 21 years. This can be extended.
The case has caused public debate about the state of society in affluent Norway with politicians and voters scrutinizing crime and punishment as well as immigration and tolerance.
"We must listen and have a debate, while not drawing hasty conclusions ... It's important that policy isn't shaped in a state of panic," said Justice Minister Knut Storberget, who also told VG he was "not surprised" by calls for stricter laws.
At a special session of parliament Stoltenberg Monday commended Norwegians for their self-control in the 10 days since the worst attack on the normally peaceful Nordic nation since World War Two, saying they had renewed their commitment to an open society.
In a poll of nearly 1,300 people taken six days after the attacks that left Norwegians devastated, 65.5 percent said penalties were "too low" and 23.8 percent were happy with them, the Verdens Gang paper reported. More than half said their view had hardened since the mayhem that claimed 77 lives.
Anders Behring Breivik, 32, who confessed to the July 22 bombing in Oslo and shooting spree on a nearby island, was charged by police with terrorism which carries a sentence of up to 21 years. This can be extended.
The case has caused public debate about the state of society in affluent Norway with politicians and voters scrutinizing crime and punishment as well as immigration and tolerance.
"We must listen and have a debate, while not drawing hasty conclusions ... It's important that policy isn't shaped in a state of panic," said Justice Minister Knut Storberget, who also told VG he was "not surprised" by calls for stricter laws.
At a special session of parliament Stoltenberg Monday commended Norwegians for their self-control in the 10 days since the worst attack on the normally peaceful Nordic nation since World War Two, saying they had renewed their commitment to an open society.