Norway v.

Nora Helmer

Witnesses for Norway

1) Torvald Helmer
2) Doctor Rank
3) Nils Krogstad

Witnesses for the defendant

1) Nora Helmer (defendant)
2) Christine Linde
3) Anne Marie (Nurse)

Trial Materials and Exhibits

1) Affidavit of Anne
2) Affidavit of Christine Linde
3) Nora’s Shopping Receipt
4) Affidavit of Torvald Helmer
5) Affidavit of Nils Krogstad
6) 2 Letters written to Mr Helmer
7) Forged Document
8) Affidavit of Doctor Rank

Witnesses for Norway

Affidavit of Torvald Helmer
My name is Torvald Helmer. I live in Oslo, Norway. I am presently living with my lovely dear
children. Bob, Ivar and Emmy. I recently got promoted at my work. I work at a local bank. I can
be described as a honest man, I worked hard for my family and at my job. In regard to my
estranged wife Nora, I treated her very well. Our relationship in the beginning was great and
loving. I called her by cute pet names; which she loved.

At times Nora was very sneaky, she lied about many things throughout our relationship. One
thing she hid from me was when she lied about the macarons when I clearly smelled it on her
breath as seen in exhibit A which she also attempted to hide from me. Another time Krogstad
came to visit while I was out even after I had made it very clear that the likes of him were not
allowed around and she lied about that. I thought there was something fishy going on with them
too but I never had my hand on it. Then I finally found out about the letter. I was so angry and
felt betrayed in the beginning. I did have some harsh words for Nora but it was all out of love for
my children. She went behind my back and almost ruined my good name. I would have been
the laughingstock of the bank all because of her foolish actions. Not only that but to work so
closely with Krogstad, ugh, that's enough to make my skin crawl. I am a man with good morals
and ethical values and I do not appreciate being almost shamed by my wife.

She was a great mother; until she… she left the children and me. It hurt me to see the kids
motherless. She did a very selfish deed. She only cared about herself when she left us. She
didn't bother to try to work it out for the kids. If she truly loved her children, she would’ve stayed
regardless of our issues. Now when this gets out I may lose my position because of her. She
keeps making more and more problems for my name as we spe
ak, no one will respect me if my wife is out gallivanting who know where and with whom.

Exhibit A
1 Packet of Jam Macaroons 5 pence
1 Toy Sword 10 Pence
1 New Suit 15 Pence
1 Toy Horse 10 Pence
1 Toy Trumpet 12 Pence
1 Doll 2 Shilling
1 Doll Acc. 1 Shilling
3 Dress lengths 2 Shillings
3 Handkerchiefs 2 Shillings

Total 7.52

Affidavit of Nils Krogstad

My name is Nils Krogstad, I live in a small town in Norway with my three children. I am a
widower. I used to work at the bank that Torvald Helmer manages till this day. I was recently
released from my position at the bank because Torvald believed I was beneath him. I have
known Nora Helmer for a year now. When her husband went ill a while back, Nora asked me for
a loan for a large sum of money, 4800 Krowns, so that they could take a trip to Italy so that he
could get better. I recently discovered that Nora’s father died September 29th, but her father's
signature was dated October 2nd. It wasn't even written in his handwriting. I have attached the
document that Nora forged, her father's signature on as exhibit c, I also wrote two letters to her
husband Torvald Helmer which are attached as exhibit A and B. Like I said in the beginning I
have known Nora Helmer for a while now and she is not what she makes herself seem to be to
other people especially in front of her husband.

Exhibit A

Dear Mr. Helmer

Your wife last year borrowed a large sum of money from me and if my position is not saved then
I will go to the authorities. I have information that you would not like being shared.
Yours truly
Nils Krogstad

Exhibit B
Dear Mr. Helmer,
Please disregard my previous letter. Attached below is the bond. “I regret and repent” what I
said. There’s been a happy change in my life and I no longer care that my position has been
removed
Krogstad

Exhibit C

I Nathan Oswald offer to pay back the sum of to

Nils Krogstad in Norwegian Kroner in periodic payments until the debt has been
extinguished.

Affidavit of Doctor Rank

My name is Doctor Rank and I reside a street down from the Helmers. I am a very close friend
of Mr. Helmer as well as a physician for him. I’ve known Nora for the same amount of time as
their marriage. To be honest I did have affection for her but I did not reveal any of my feelings
until I was sure that my imminent sickness would take me soon after. I am a dying man. Nora at
first seemed like such a good caring wife and that was what attracted me to her. But alas, I wish
I hadn't. That woman is such a tease, once I let my true feelings out she brushed me aside with
me just being “really horrid” and “so clumsy” as to tell her what I felt. In a way she was trying to
“punish me” for caring. She really is a heartless cruel creature.

Affidavit of Van Huynh

My name is van huynh and I am a counselor and a major in psychology. Where to start… the
effects of a child being abandoned by their parents is HUGE. A child who does not have the
secure attachment to their parents at a young age, grows up to be untrusting of others
(especially adults), anti-social or have behavioral problems. More importantly they walk through
life feeling like if their parents left them, why wouldn’t others do the same and/or feel unloved
and uncared for. So there are extremes… they either cling on to people quickly and have issues
with intimacy (too much clinging or too little affect). Or they go to the other extreme and are
loners who want to do nothing to do with anyone. As a child, being abandoned might pose a lot
of risk factors for the child, ie. if they are taken into DCF (Dept of Children and Families) and
placed in multiple foster homes or group homes, it further causes them to spiral downhill. You
will find that these children grow up to have social/emotional problems which would then affect
their school, attendance and academic achievement along with having social problems, like
getting along with adults and other classmates. Often they go down the road of being court
involved, arrested, abusing drugs and alcohol, dropping out of school, being in abusive
relationships or being the abuser. The risk of them being sexually abused is significantly higher
too. Often for the girls, you find that they get pregnant young for several reasons, their self
esteem is low and they get involved in a relationship and think they are in love with their
boyfriend so they think by getting pregnant with him he will stay and also if they have a baby
they will have someone who will love them forever. Always searching for the love, which can
cost a lot for them emotionally. They are also easy target to be victimized and/or join a gank
where they will feel that they have a sense of family and that they belong.

And for those that grow up with a parent(s) who are absentee parent, the risk is just as high. If
they grow up with a parent who is not really parenting them, they make up their own rules, going
out and hanging with the wrong crowd or a group of older people or join a gank. They might
struggle at school, poor attendance, poor academic achievements, etc. They might commit
crimes to get their parent(s) attention. They too might seek inappropriate relationships with older
people to try to fill the void of parent figure. They too might have inappropriate boundary issues.
These children might grow up diagnosed with mental health issues, like depression and might
be medicated

Overall these are likely scenarios and consequences but it does not fit every abandoned or
neglected children. I have seen many children in the worse conditions and situations that have
failed and done bad things and they still manage to turn their lives around and break the cycle
that they lived in. I have seen children meet great people who took the time to mentor them and
give them the support and love that they need to be successful. I have seen children defy the
odds and become someone great… a person with self-confidence and love for themselves. I
have seen even young teen moms with these abandonment issues rise above all that and be a
great parent who pushed hard to get education and go on to college or the work field

Children have a hard time with self esteem and feeling loved and it is an added stressor to the
already tough day to day life that they lead. I always say every child has the potential to do great
things in life.. Often times the only downfall is that they might be born in a family that does not
help them reach their potential. Sometimes our birth parent is really only an egg donor or a
sperm donor. Just because you were born to them does not automatically make them your
parent. Some people find surrogates to be their parent and they manage to soar and be
successful.

Affidavit of Christine Linde

My name is Christine Linde. I live in Oslo, Norway. I am an old school friend of the defendant
Nora Helmer. We went to school together a long time ago. She has not changed from our
schoolgirl days. Always a little spendthrift but an amazing dear friend. I am a recent widow and I
am childless. I was taking care of my brothers and mother before I was married but they don't
need me anymore I was all alone. I went back to my hometown to get a stable and well paying
job. With Nora's help I am now an employee at the bank of her husband Torvald helmer

When I came back to town we caught up on old times and reflected on what was happening in
our lives in the present. I told her about my hard times. She seemed to hear them but she didn't
really understand how to comfort me. Then nora shocked me and told me what she did, I don't
know if she told me because she wanted to show how her life has been just as hard as mine or
if she had the need to share something so deep with me as a sign of our friendship. To save her
husband, she borrowed 4800 Krowns secretly without any permission from her father or
Torvald. I don't agree with her actions but one thing I know about nora is she did it out of love.
She always wanted to fall in love and Torvald was her perfect man

I find it surprising how life comes around in circles. To find that Nils, an old love of mine was
behind all of nora’s worries was ironic. For someone who wasn't stable enough to marry me
back when I was at marriageable age really frightens me. Unfortunately I couldn’t marry him
because my duty was to my family and not to my heart. I’m hoping that after this trial perhaps
we can rekindle and combine our families together, I know that he has three children that are in
need of a mother’s touch. Nora may be my friend but this time I want to do something for me

Affidavit of Anne
My name is Anne Marie and I reside with Mr. and Mrs. Helmer. I have been in Mrs. Helmer’s
service for quite some time, ever since she was a young child. I was the only maternal figure in
the household. Her poor mother has died. Little Nora as I fondly call her couldn't have possibly
done what you say she has. She’s been an amazing good mother to her three children and she
plays with them a whole lot more than most mothers do. She's just a doll and not a head for
things like this.
Affidavit of Nora Helmer
My name is Nora Helmer, I reside at Mrs Lyndes’s house for the moment. I willingly left the
household because I could no longer handle being in a marriage with someone who treated me
as a doll. Torvald was in love with the idea of me, not me. I was a mere plaything and at first I
hadn't realized that all but unfortunately Krogstad made my eyes open and realized how weak
our marriage is. I knew that in my present state being in the household would hurt the children
more if I had stayed. I knew Anne, my dear nurse, would be a good substitute. I left out of love
for my children

As for the charges that are against me, I strongly deny any gilt. In all my years married to
Torvald I have never said or done anything against his name. I was the ever perfect doll wife
being forever faithful. What I did was out of love for him and our family. The law did not help me
in a situation where I felt so alone. My father was on his deathbed and Torvald was soon to be
the only family I had left to rely on. Without that bond he would have died inevitably. The trip to
italy was needed to nurse his health back. I know what happens to families who are left with
nothing from the husband. I did what I had to do to protect my family

I admit that my methods were a little shady but seeing Torvald so sick and frail and vulnerable
made me act quickly. I did try to ask my father for help but I also wanted to protect him as well.
From all sides I was being abandoned by the men in my life that I cared about. Yes Torvald did
treat me in a demeaning manner but I did truly love him dearly.

NORWEGIAN LAWS USED IN CASE:

European courts process far more civil defamation cases than any other region, an
average in each country of 700 cases per annum. The maximum damages
awarded in each country during the period averaged US$81,000. None of the
countries surveyed had a statutory cap on possible damages, with the exception of
Greece´s limit of US$438.000.

Research has found that child abandonment is one of the key reasons why children
under the age of three are placed in institutional care. A comparison of children in
institutions revealed that in Western Europe only 4% were abandoned, as opposed
to 32% of children in institutions in Central and Eastern Europe, Romania, Hungary
and Latvia had the majority of children in institutional care who were abandoned,
While Denmark, Norway and the UK reported child abandonment as being a rare
event. It is difficult to establish the true extent of open and secret child abandonment
across Europe, as only some countries maintain national statistics regarding these
phenomena and, where this information is maintained, data differs depending on the
The child´s age group and the definition of child abandonment used. As part of the
current EU Daphne-funded project on child abandonment and its prevention,
government departments from all 27 EU member countries were written to,
Requesting information in relation to open and secret abandonment. Of the 27
countries who responded, Slovakia had the highest number of children (age 0 - 3)
who were openly abandoned (4.9 per 1,000 live births) and Poland (3.7 per 1,000
live births). Across all 22 countries surveyed, there was very little information (if any)
regarding the number of children abandoned outdoors or in public places.
Additionally, the majority of countries do not keep national records of the number of
children (age 0 - 3) abandoned at maternity units. Where countries do keep records, Romania
had the highest number of children abandoned per year at maternity units (3.6 per 1,000 life
births), followed by Slovakia (3.3 per 1,000 life births), Poland and Lithuania (1.7 per 1,000 live
births), and France (1 per 1,000 live births). Addressing secret child abandonment. The
approaches to addressing secret child abandonment across the EU vary. In some countries it is
no longer illegal to abandon a child, on condition that the child is left somewhere safe. Special
baby hatches are available in some European countries where mothers can leave their babies
anonymously and safely. Of the 27 EU member countries, 11 have baby hatches in operation.
Baby hatches can be found in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, and Slovakia. In France, Women have the right to remain
anonymous to their babies after giving birth in a hospital. This is referred to as accouchement
sous x, which removes the legal ties between the mother and the baby. In terms of the UNCRC,
there is much debate surrounding these approaches to child abandonment, and there is a
significant lack of research regarding whether they actually save lives or encourage parents to
abandon their children. Additionally, although the assumption is often made that it is the mother
who leaves her infant at a baby hatch there is increasing evidence that this is not necessarily
true. It is frequently men or relatives who leave infants at baby hatches, which begs the question
of what has happened to the mothers and have they consented to abandoning their children.
Due to the anonymous nature of baby hatches, they carry with them several further implications.
First, children left behind in this way have no way of determining their family medical history.
Second, the father’s paternal rights are denied. Third, the opportunity to place the baby in other
relatives care is completely removed, as child abandonment and its prevention Article 7 of the
UN Convention on the rights of the child (UNCRC) clearly states that every child has “the right
to know and be cared for by his or her parents”. When a child is abandoned, this right is
violated. Infants and young children are those most at risk of being abandoned. This is
concerning, as a child deprived of a stable upbringing in his or her early years of life may
experience difficulties in terms of emotional and behavioral development. Despite the
importance of understanding the extent, causes and consequences of child abandonment, there
is a distinct lack of research in this area. Such studies are essential in order to develop effective
prevention programmes and strategies aimed at protecting those most vulnerable in our
european society. There is no way of tracing the child’s family. Nevertheless, the Czech
Republic and Lithuania both have an average of 7 infants left behind in baby hatches per year.
Polanc has an average of 6, while Hungary and Slovakia both have an average of 4 left behind
in bay hatches per year.