A Norwegian court has sentenced former general practitioner Arne Bye to 21 years in prison for raping and sexually abusing dozens of women. Bye, 55, was convicted of 70 counts of rape and sexual assault, as well as 82 counts of abusing his position as a doctor.
The offenses occurred during medical examinations at Bye’s office in Frosta, a small town near Trondheim, where he exploited his position of trust. The court heard details of non-consensual touching and inappropriate pelvic examinations, including instances where Bye used non-medical equipment like deodorant without justification.
The investigation uncovered over 6,000 hours of footage from a camera secretly installed in his office, showing Bye’s abuse of patients. The videos were used as evidence in the trial, with some victims testifying about the excruciating pain and trauma they experienced during the exams. A total of 94 women testified against Bye, aged between 14 and 67. Some victims reported being examined for unrelated issues, like sore throats, only to be subjected to invasive and non-consensual touching.
Bye received the maximum sentence of 21 years in prison and was also banned from practicing medicine indefinitely. He was ordered to financially compensate his victims. Concerns about Bye’s behavior were first raised in 2006, but he continued to practice medicine until charges were filed against him in 2023. The police investigation began in August 2022 after health authorities alerted them to possible criminal acts.
Judge Espen Haug described Bye’s actions as “absolutely unacceptable” and emphasized that they undermined public trust in the healthcare system and doctors in general.
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