Arne Bye, a former gynaecologist, has been charged with the sexual assault of 87 women, aged 14 to 67, and is accused of filming these examinations over a period of 20 years, resulting in a major controversy in Norway.
Arne Bye, 55 years old, is presently undergoing trial for grave accusations of sexual misconduct involving two minors, ages 14 and 15 at the time of the offences.
The eldest victim was 67 years old at the time of the alleged assault by Bye. He has confessed to three counts of rape and 35 incidents of professional misconduct, potentially facing a term of up to 21 years in jail. Authorities seized around 6,000 hours of video footage throughout the probe, encompassing recordings of his gynaecological examinations.
The surgeries were reportedly performed without patient consent, and officials have described the tape as “sensitive and detailed.” Reports suggest that Arne Bye employed various devices, characterised as “deodorant-like,” “bottle-like,” and cylindrical, on the women without any valid medical rationale.
One victim recounted her experience in court, stating, “I thought I was going to die.” Another victim, who had visited her doctor for a sore throat, described how she found herself in a vulnerable position during an invasive examination, saying, “I thought that he is my doctor, so I did as he said.” The indictment claims that the alleged assaults occurred swiftly and unexpectedly during the examinations.
Police confiscated over 6,000 hours of video footage during their investigation, primarily consisting of gynecological exams secretly recorded without the patients’ consent.
These incidents took place in Frosta, a small town with a population of only 2,600 on the Norwegian coast. The court has been presented with explicit video evidence recorded by Bye, with state attorney Richard Haugen Lyng noting, “We have video recordings of the assault itself. In that sense, we have a rather unique evidentiary situation in this case, as significant portions of the indictment are supported by video material,” stated the prosecutor. In his defense, the former doctor asserted that he recorded the appointments out of concern for potential lawsuits and claimed he never reviewed the footage.
Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that one of the videos depicts him setting up multiple cameras in the room prior to examining one of the women involved in the case. The report also indicated that he partially acknowledged the rape allegations during a court appearance on Wednesday.
Concerns regarding his conduct were raised as early as 2006 by a fellow physician in the gynecology department of a local hospital. One of Arne Bye’s patients, who was seeking additional treatment, alleged that her doctor had inappropriately massaged her genitals during the examination. In August 2022, police initiated an investigation after health authorities informed them of the potential misconduct.
Arne Bye managed to retain his position until the following year when formal charges were brought against him. He has not been placed in custody as the trial proceeds.
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