Asbjørn Rachlew (2014)

It was sheer luck that led to an innocent man facing a jail sentence for murder to go free. Another man admitted to the crime, but before that, the innocent person had spent six months isolated, interrogated and had become broken down and suicidal. Later – after the incident – Asbjørn suggested a meeting between the man who had been falsely accused and the detective responsible for the investigation in front of 200 police officers. The learning session made an extraordinary impression on the audience, and suddenly, the accused, the detective, and Asbjørn found themselves working together – travelling the world and talking about how innocent people often confess to crimes they do not commit.

As a viewer, you should know that the innocent man later took his own life, and his son attended the audience during this talk. When Asbjørn addresses the audience, it is the son he is talking to and paying respects to – which is also emotional, as the now deceased man had become Asbjørn’s close friend through their work.

Asbjørn Rachlew is a Police superintendent, researcher, and teacher who travels around the world, talking about Police investigations and Human Rights. He has researched in depth what causes false confessions and leads to people falsely accused of crimes they did not commit.