A Norwegian doctor who raped dozens of women has been sentenced to 21 years in a horrifying case which has rocked Norway. Former GP, Arne Bye, was convicted of 70 counts of rape and sexual assault on Friday (June 6).

Norwegian media reports Bye was also convicted of 82 counts of abusing his position. Bye, 55, pleaded guilty to some of the charges but was acquitted of others. Almost all his crimes happened during medical examinations he carried out on patients in the town of Frosta, which has a population of less than 3,000.

Bye was banned from practising medicine and ordred to pay compensation by a court in Trondheim, according to the BBC.

Norwegian media reports that allegations dated back almost 20 years and related to 94 women.

Judge Espen Haug is quoted as saying: “The defendant’s actions happened in a place and setting where people are supposed to feel safe.

“His actions have undermined public trust in the health service as well as doctors in general.”

Bye showed no emotion as he was handed the maximum sentence despite his legal team arguing for a lower sentence of 17-18 years due to his having plead guilty to the rape of 21 people.

The court heard health officials alerted police to concerns about Bye in August 2022 and he was later charged.

Police found secretly filmed footage from Bye’s office, which revealed the true scale of his offences. There were hundreds of hours of video, according to reports.

Women reportedly aged from 14 to 67 from the town came forward, with complaints dating from 2004 to 2022.

The court heard how Bye touched his victims without consent and carried out inappropriate pelvic examinations. Under Norwegian law, such acts are considered rape.

Bye’s lawyer said his client would spend time reading the verdict before deciding whether to appeal.