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Norwegian athletics coach Ingebrigtsen avoids jail in high-profile family case
Brothers Jakob Ingebrigtsen (right) and Phillip Ingebrigtsen (left) take part in the Paris 2024 Olympics - Athletics - Men's 1500m Final - Stade de France on August 06, 2024. The duo sued their father Gjert Ingebrigtsen.
A Norwegian court on Monday found athletics coach Gjert Ingebrigtsen guilty of one count of minor assault against his daughter, while acquitting him of all charges of physical and mental abuse against his twice-Olympic-champion son Jakob.
Ingebrigtsen was sentenced to a 15-day suspended prison sentence and must pay compensation of 10,000 Norwegian crowns (Sh129,000) to his daughter for hitting her with a wet towel on one occasion. He will not have to serve time in jail.
Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of two and a half years in a trial that captivated the Nordic nation.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who won gold medals in the 5,000 metres at the 2024 Paris Games and the 1,500 metres in Tokyo in 2021, described during the trial in March a childhood he said was marked by fear and manipulation, accusing his father of incidents of violence.
Gjert Ingebrigtsen, 59, had pleaded not guilty in the case and denied the charges against him, telling the court he had been an overly protective father who had tried to help his ambitious children.
Gjert Ingebrigtsen will not file an appeal, his lawyer John Christian Elden told Reuters.
"He is relieved and hopes the matter will be resolved quickly," Elden said.
Reuters was not able to reach a lawyer representing Jakob Ingebrigtsen and his sister.
The Ingebrigtsen family became household names in 2016 when the TV show "Team Ingebrigtsen" aired for five seasons on national broadcaster NRK, showcasing the family training and balancing their ambitions with daily life.
A long list of witnesses was called to testify at the nearly two-month long criminal trial, including many family members, officials from Norway's athletics federation and other athletes and staff who worked with Gjert Ingebrigtsen and his sons.
The verdict remains subject to potential appeal by prosecutors.
