Murder of Benjamin Hermansen

Benjamin Hermansen was born on 29 May 1985 in Norway to a father born in Ghana and a Norwegian mother. Just before midnight on 26 January 2001, he was stabbed to death at Holmlia in Oslo. The attack was carried out by members of the neo-Nazi group Boot Boys. The killing has been characterized both as a racially motivated attack and, by some terrorism experts, as a politically motivated act rooted in right-wing extremism.

Two men were convicted for the murder. Joe Erling Jahr, born in 1981, was sentenced to 16 years in prison, and Ole Nicolai Kvisler, born on 23 July 1979, was sentenced to 15 years. A third defendant, Veronica Andreassen, was convicted on a lesser charge of abetting bodily harm causing death and received a three-year sentence. Kvisler and Jahr appealed their sentences to the Court of Appeal, which increased their sentences by an additional two years each, to 17 and 18 years respectively. A further appeal to the Supreme Court was rejected, upholding the increased sentences. In the criminal case, Kvisler was represented by attorney Geir Lippestad, who later defended Anders Behring Breivik in connection with the 2011 Norway attacks.

The murder, understood as motivated by right-wing extremism, xenophobia and racism, prompted a significant public response across Norway, particularly in Oslo, where marches were organized in protest; nearly 40,000 people took part in the Oslo demonstration.

Hermansen was buried on 6 February 2001. A song titled "Song to Benjamin," written by several of his friends for the funeral service, was presented at the ceremony and was later recorded in studio by artists including Noora Noor and Briskeby. In 2003, the Benjamin Prize was established in his memory and is awarded annually on 27 January.

American singer Michael Jackson dedicated his 2001 album "Invincible" to Hermansen, alongside his own parents and grandmother. This dedication was connected to the friendship between Jackson and artist and dancer Omer Bhatti of Holmlia, who was himself a close friend of Hermansen. The album's liner notes included a message expressing remembrance of Hermansen and referencing judging a person by the content of their character rather than skin color.

After their release from prison, the two convicted men followed different paths: Kvisler resumed activity within the neo-Nazi community, largely online, while Jahr apologized for the murder, describing it as an attack that accidentally proved fatal.