Danish mother sacrificed herself to save Norwegian children

A Danish mother, who was killed in Norway’s Utoya massacre, spent the last moments of her life shielding children from bullets with her own body, according to witnesses.

Hanne Fjalestad, originally from Jutland, gathered groups of children behind her before heroically running towards terrorist Anders Behring Breivik, making herself the target.

The 43 year-old married mother of four was one of a small group of people originally declared missing after the shootings at a Labour Party youth camp which resulted in the deaths of 68 people. Her 20 year-old daughter, Anna, survived the attack but lost track of her mother during the ordeal. Both women were working as medics at the retreat.

Speaking to Herning Folkeblad newspaper, Hanne’s father, Per Balch Sorensen, who still lives in the family’s Jutland hometown of Herning, said his daughter will be buried in the Norwegian town of Lunner where she lived with her Norwegian husband. “She gave her life for Norway, so she should rest in Norwegian soil,” he said.

Anna told Expressen newspaper that she still feels numb towards 32 year-old far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik, who carried out two attacks in Norway on 22nd July. “I have nothing left over for the murderer,” she said. “Not sorrow and not anger. He doesn’t deserve it.”