Utoya massacre survivor speaks as impending trial of Breivik looms

(12 Apr 2012) Utvik
1. Wide of Utoya island from opposite shore
2. Close of south end of island
3. Mid of memorial at Utvik harbour, showing Utoya island in the background
4. Close up of memorial plaque, reading: (Norwegian) "If one man can show so much hate, think of how much love we can show together"
Oslo
5. Set up of Utoya massacre survivor Per Anders Langerod walking in city park
6. Close up of Langerod checking phone
7. Close of wrist band reading (Norwegian) "Show racism a red card"
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Per Anders Langerod, Utoya massacre survivor:
"I can't just get rid of the experience from 2011. I'm afraid. Just the thought of spending the night at Utoya, closing your eyes in the dark, sleeping there overnight to the night after is not an option for me. I would be extremely afraid."
Utvik
9. Wide of Utoya island from opposite shore
10. Mid of Norwegian flags near memorial at Utvik harbour
11. Mid of flowers at memorial
12. Close up of flowers
Oslo
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Per Anders Langerod, Utoya massacre survivor:
"There's only so much talk about the trial, and the 22nd of July you can bear at the time. You have to protect yourself against the media, against all the issues, the explanations from Anders Behring Breivik and everything. And I have to get back to my daily life. So when the trial starts, I will be in Berlin, in two weeks, isolating me and sort of escaping from this circus which is going to be starting on Monday for 10 weeks."
Utvik
14. Mid of red boats tied up at Utvik harbour
15. Low angle shot of water lapping on shore
Oslo
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Per Anders Langerod, Utoya massacre survivor:
"I was really uncertain if I supported a life-long imprisonment after this issue and I probably am (in favour of). I've changed my views from the 21 years of maximum penalty in Norway to life-long imprisonment. Sometimes that is the right thing to do, 'cause you have to protect the society. And I won't run the risk of meeting Anders Behring Breivik on the subway in 20 years. That's not an option for me, then I'd have to move from Norway."
Utvik
17. Close up of water in fjord, tilt up to wide view of Utoya island
STORYLINE:
From the nearest shore, the island of Utoya looks like a giant tree-covered whale swimming in the cold waters of Tyrifjord.
For survivors of the gun massacre which took place there in July last year, the island holds terrors which haunt them vividly still.
"I'm afraid," says Per Anders Langerod. "Just the thought of spending the night at Utoya, closing your eyes in the dark... I would be extremely afraid," adds the 26-year-old student.
Langerod hid with his face pressed hard into a rock while Anders Breivik killed scores of young people around him during the shooting rampage at a Labour party democracy youth camp.
As the killing continued, Langerod dived into the fjord while Breivik shot at him, and then swam under water until his lungs hurt.
When he surfaced, Langerod joined other survivors clinging to a makeshift raft, where rescuers found him wearing only boxer shorts, his skin blue with cold.
Nine months after the events on Utoya, the impending trial of Breivik has brought back all the memories of that summer's day.
Langerod describes the whole process as a "circus".
""There's only so much talk about the trial, and the 22nd of July you can bear at the time," he said
"You have to protect yourself against the media, against all the issues," Langerod added.
He also wants to protect himself from Breivik, whose testimony will be broadcast on television.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...