Teenager sentenced to 18 months probation for violent crimes including knife attack in Reykjavik

A teenager has been sentenced to 18 months of probationary imprisonment for serious violent crimes, including a knife attack in Reykjavik. The sentence was handed down in the Reykjavik District Court, which also acknowledged the young man’s difficult upbringing.

In addition to the stabbing, he was found guilty of various offenses between 2022 and 2024, including assaults, robbery, possession of firearms and cannabis, and theft. He will be supervised by child protection authorities until he turns 18, after which he will be under the care of the Prison and Probation Administration. The court mandated that he reside in a treatment facility until reaching adulthood.

The case included a serious charge of attempted murder stemming from an incident in June of the previous year, in which the teenager attacked a man in downtown Reykjavik, stabbing him repeatedly. The victim sustained severe injuries, and the judge expressed particular concern over the violent nature of the attack, where the assailant used a knife on three separate occasions.

Despite this, video evidence suggested that the victim had instigated the altercation. The court ordered the teenager to pay 600,000 Icelandic krónur in compensation to the injured man, alongside legal fees for his defense. Additionally, he faces the forfeiture of items collected during the investigation, including cannabis, two knives, and a blunt weapon. A judge noted the delays in prosecution, particularly regarding the oldest charges against him.