A Norwegian court on Monday acquitted Gjert Ingebrigtsen, the father and former coach of Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, of abusing his son but convicted him of assaulting his daughter, handing down a 15-day suspended sentence.
Gjert, 59, had faced charges of physical and psychological abuse allegedly committed against Jakob, 24, and daughter Ingrid, 19, between 2008 and 2022. While he denied all charges, the Sandnes court found insufficient evidence to support Jakob’s claims of prolonged abuse but ruled that Gjert had assaulted Ingrid in January 2022 by striking her face with a wet towel during an argument.
Jakob, who won gold in the 1,500m at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics and the 5,000m in Paris 2024, cut ties with his father in 2022, along with his brothers Henrik and Filip, also elite runners. Their allegations, first made public in a newspaper article in October 2023, shocked Norway and prompted a police investigation. Claims involving all seven Ingebrigtsen siblings were reviewed, but only those involving Jakob and Ingrid were pursued.
Ingrid’s testimony was supported by a photograph showing her red cheek following the incident. Gjert claimed he had been aiming for her finger during the altercation. The court ordered him to pay her 10,000 kroner (approximately $1,000) in damages. Prosecutors had sought a 2.5-year prison sentence.
Reacting to the ruling, the siblings’ lawyer Mette Yvonne Larsen said, “They didn’t say they were disappointed. They said they were surprised.” Defense lawyers argued that the lack of evidence demonstrating ongoing fear and coercion was key to the acquittal, citing supporting testimony from family members and external witnesses.
Throughout the trial, Jakob referred to his father only as “the accused,” recalling a childhood marked by fear, manipulation, and physical violence. “I wasn’t allowed to speak my mind. Everything was controlled,” he testified.
Gjert dismissed the trial as a “textbook case of character assassination,” describing himself as a “traditional and patriarchal” father who gave his children structure and discipline but received only betrayal in return.
The verdict follows a highly emotional and public legal battle that, regardless of its outcome, Jakob said had “profound and heartbreaking consequences” for the family. Both parties have 14 days to appeal.
Written By Rodney Mbua
