Juliane Snekkestad considering appeal: 'I haven't finished with this'

It has been a few days since the prosecution dropped the case against Marius Borg Høiby, but for Juliane Snekkestad, it is far from over. Quite the opposite. The young woman, who came forward with her account, is now actively weighing up her next steps. "I haven't finished with this," she says.

It was last week that the Oslo public prosecutors' office decided to discontinue the investigation into Høiby. The decision came as a surprise to many, and not least to Snekkestad herself. She has consistently wanted the case to be heard in court and strongly objects to the prosecution now drawing a line under it.

She is now being assisted by the high-profile lawyer John Christian Elden to review the options for an appeal. "We are looking at whether there are grounds to appeal against the dismissal, and we are also considering whether a civil case might be an option," says Elden. He emphasises that they are taking time to thoroughly review the documents before reaching a conclusion.

Response to comments

In the wake of the case being dropped, there have also been several statements that Snekkestad finds inappropriate. Among other things, some have commented that the case "shouldn't have been in the media". This makes her blood boil. "It's hurtful to hear people trivialising what I've been through. This is about something more than just a headline," she says.

She feels that many don't grasp the seriousness of it, and that coming forward has been a huge burden. "I knew it was going to be tough, but I hadn't anticipated having to also defend myself against attacks afterwards," she adds.

Weighing up several options

According to Snekkestad herself, she is determined to keep fighting. She wants to highlight what she sees as weaknesses in the investigation and the prosecution's assessment. Together with Elden, she is now exploring several avenues:

• Appeal to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP): Primarily, they are considering appealing against the dismissal to the DPP, in the hope that the case can be reopened.
• Civil claim for damages: If the appeal is unsuccessful, it might be relevant to bring a civil case to seek compensation for the alleged violations.
• Disclosure of documents: Snekkestad is also considering requesting access to all documents from the investigation, to be able to counter claims that have been made publicly.

"I have nothing to hide, and I want people to see what this is really all about. Getting the truth out there is important to me," she says firmly.

Support from unexpected quarters

While the criticism has been plentiful, Snekkestad has also received support from several quarters. Several women's rights organisations and individuals have come forward to express their sympathy. "It warms my heart to know there are people who see me and believe me. It gives me the strength to see this through," she says.

She says she is now trying to find a balance between fighting her cause and looking after her own health. "It's demanding, but I have good people around me. I know what I want, and I'm not giving up."

For Juliane Snekkestad, this is far from over. With Elden backing her and a clear plan for the way forward, she is now looking ahead. "I hope that through this, we can help others in similar situations to dare to come forward too. It's worth fighting for," she concludes.