It is an offence to give sleeping pills to a child staying overnight
Supreme Court judgment 16 March 2021, HR-2021-580-A, (case no. 20-168769STR-HRET), criminal case, appeal against judgment.
A (Counsel Mette Yvonne Larsen) v. The Public Prosecution Authority (Cousel Erik Førde)
Justices: Indreberg, Matheson, Bull, Bergsjø, Falch
A father had on three occasions given sleeping pills to a child who was staying overnight with his daughter, to make the visiting child sleep. The Supreme Court found like the Court of Appeal that inducing sleep in another person is to cause a condition “similar to unconsciousness”, so that the act was covered by section 273 of the Penal Code. There was no reason to consider whether extraordinary exculpatory circumstances obtained. The defendant’s appeal against the Court of Appeal’s application of the law was dismissed.