Helge Fossmo
Encyclopedia
Helge Arnold Fossmo a pentecostal pastor
sentenced to life imprisonment
for solicitation
of the Knutby murder in Sweden
in 2004.
, close to Kristinehamn
in Värmland County
. His parents were Norwegian. The family was not particularly religious, but when he was about ten years old Helge joined the scouting
organization of the Mission Covenant Church
in Björneborg. Not long before he turned twelve he became a "born again" Christian. He went to highschool in Kristinehamn. He volunteered in a Christian youth café. At age 17 he met Heléne Johansson, his future wife. In 1989 he joined the Pentecostal church of Kristinehamn, where also Heléne was a member. After graduation, he studied in Karlstad
to become a science teacher, but he dropped out. For a while he worked as a teacher in his old school in Björneborg.
In the spring of 1993 Helge Fossmo was involved with Jaspis. In Kristinehamn this was a small group inspired by Ulf Ekman
's Livets Ord
, part of the Word of Faith
movement. After a few months, however, he left Jaspis and rejoined the pentecostal church. He was then employed as a youth pastor. In May 1995, he organized a march for Jesus
. The Christian newspaper Dagen
published Fossmo's experience of xenoglossy
.
Fossmo met Åsa Waldau
for the first time in August 1993. The main pastor Claes Frankner had invited her to Kristinehamn from Knutby. His son Samuel was already an adherent of Waldau's and moved to Knutby in 1994. The Fossmos moved there in August 1997 with their two children (a third child was born in Knutby).
. Later this foundation organized bible schools in Coimbatore
(India) and in Hongkong.
Fossmo's web page with Christian links is dominated by Word of Faith (Livets Ord
, Morris Cerullo
, Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn
, John Avanzini
, Kenneth Copeland
), but also includes Pentecostalism (IBRA Radio
, Kensington Temple
, Oral Roberts
) and others (Willow Creek Community Church
, Ray Stedman). The web page also shows strong support for the State of Israel. Later, Fossmo was photographed with the Israeli ambassador, Zvi Mazel
and the ambassador also invited Fossmo to the embassy.
The Fossmos moved to a house next to Åsa Waldau, and Helge was spending most of his time with her. Reading the Bible, they found that the metaphorical interpretatation of Bride of Christ as the Church is not explicit in the New Testament texts. Fossmo told Waldau that if the Bride were a person, it would have to be her. Waldau then bought a gold ring with seven diamonds. On March 29, 1999 he was the only other person present at the ceremony where Åsa Waldau was betrothed to Jesus. She became the Bride of Christ, and also assumed a new name: Tirsa. Fossmo said in court that he had to mediate Jesus to her, by satisfying her sexually with his hands, which Waldau denied.
in her blood, her death was ruled an accident.
Within a few months Helge Fossmo had a new wife, Alexandra, Tirsa's youngest sister. In June 2001, Fossmo fell ill in an undiagnosed disease. He was nursed by Sara Svensson, who moved into his bedroom. She divorced her husband a year later, but Åsa Waldau did not approve of Fossmo's liaison with her. She was put under church discipline
and shunned - in Fossmo's bedroom, where she said she was a sex slave. Pastor Fossmo then coveted his neighbour's wife, Anette Linde. They started an affair in the autumn of 2003. Soon thereafter, Sara Svensson started getting anonymous text messages, which she regarded as prophetic. Together with Fossmo's verbal instructions, these messages convinced her to try to kill Alexandra Fossmo. In the early morning of November 8, 2003, she attacked Alexandra with a hammer. Alexandra woke up and resisted the attack. She called her husband who was out in his car (with his lover, Mss. Linde), as well as some church elders
. Sara Svensson was sent away from the community. The assault was not reported to the police, and the Fossmos took a plane to a Bible school in Hongkong. Secretly, Fossmo and Svensson kept in touch. The anonymous text messages also resumed. Svensson was instructed to buy a handgun (not an easy task in Sweden). She was told to shoot Daniel Linde too. The shootings took place in the early morning of January 10, 2004. Alexandra was shot dead in the head in her bed. Daniel Linde was shot in the chest and in his mouth, but he managed to call emergency services and he survived.
The district court sentenced Fossmo to life imprisonment for solicitiation of murder of Alexandra and attempted murder of Daniel Linde, but acquitted him of the murder of Heléne. Fossmo appealed the convictions and the prosecutor appealed the acquittal, but the verdict was upheld. Fossmo's appeal to the Supreme Court was denied. He wrote without success to the Chancellor of Justice. He then appealed to the European Court of Human Rights
, but on February 13, 2007 the judges decided not to hear his case.
. In March 2007, after three interviews, the police decided not to reopen the case.
On July 20, 2007, Helge Fossmo got married in prison. In October 2009, he published an article where he said he was ashamed of what he had done in the cult.
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
for solicitation
Solicitation
Literally, solicitation means: 'urgently asking'. It is the action or instance of soliciting; petition; proposal. In criminal law, it most commonly refers to either the act of offering goods or services, or the act of attempting to purchase such goods or services...
of the Knutby murder in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 2004.
Life before Knutby
Helge Fossmo originated from the village of BjörneborgBjörneborg
Björneborg may be:* the Swedish name of Pori, city of Finland,* a village of Sweden, a suburb to Kristinehamn city, part of the Kristinehamn Municipality. It has circa 1,200 inhabitants....
, close to Kristinehamn
Kristinehamn
Kristinehamn is a locality and the seat of Kristinehamn Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden with 17,836 inhabitants in 2005.- Geography :Kristinehamn is situated by the shores of lake Vänern...
in Värmland County
Värmland County
Värmland County is a county or län in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Østfold, Akershus and Hedmark to the west.- Province :...
. His parents were Norwegian. The family was not particularly religious, but when he was about ten years old Helge joined the scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
organization of the Mission Covenant Church
Mission Covenant Church of Sweden
The Mission Covenant Church of Sweden , founded in 1878, is a Swedish Reformed free church. It is the second-largest Christian denomination in the country, after the national church, the Church of Sweden...
in Björneborg. Not long before he turned twelve he became a "born again" Christian. He went to highschool in Kristinehamn. He volunteered in a Christian youth café. At age 17 he met Heléne Johansson, his future wife. In 1989 he joined the Pentecostal church of Kristinehamn, where also Heléne was a member. After graduation, he studied in Karlstad
Karlstad
Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...
to become a science teacher, but he dropped out. For a while he worked as a teacher in his old school in Björneborg.
In the spring of 1993 Helge Fossmo was involved with Jaspis. In Kristinehamn this was a small group inspired by Ulf Ekman
Ulf Ekman
Ulf Ekman is a Swedish charismatic pastor and founder of the charismatic church Livets Ord , which brought the Word of Faith movement to Sweden.-Ministry:...
's Livets Ord
Livets Ord
Livets Ord, literally Word of the Life, is the largest parish within the Swedish Word of Faith movement. The parish was founded in Uppsala by Ulf Ekman on May 24, 1983, who also served as its leader until 2000. Ekman passed on the local pastorship in Uppsala to Robert Ekh that year and instead...
, part of the Word of Faith
Word of Faith
Word of Faith is a family of Christian churches as well as a label applied by some observers to a teaching movement kindred to many Pentecostal and charismatic churches and individuals worldwide. The basic doctrine preached is that of salvation through Jesus Christ and what that salvation entails...
movement. After a few months, however, he left Jaspis and rejoined the pentecostal church. He was then employed as a youth pastor. In May 1995, he organized a march for Jesus
March for Jesus
March for Jesus is an annual interdenominational event in which Christians march through towns and cities.March for Jesus began as City March in London in 1987. It emerged out of the friendship of three church groups: Pioneer, led by Gerald Coates; Ichthus led by Roger Forster; and Youth with a...
. The Christian newspaper Dagen
Dagen (Swedish newspaper)
Dagen is a daily newspaper in Sweden with the expressed purpose of being a Christian voice in the media noise. Its circulation is 18,400 ....
published Fossmo's experience of xenoglossy
Xenoglossy
Xenoglossy , also written xenoglossia , is the putative paranormal phenomenon in which a person is able to speak or write a language he or she supposedly could not have acquired by natural means...
.
Fossmo met Åsa Waldau
Åsa Waldau
Åsa M. Waldau is the leader of a Christian church in Knutby, Sweden. She was born October 26, 1965. She is one of originally four sisters, the youngest of whom was the victim of the Knutby murder on January 10, 2004.-Biography:In 1985 Åsa Waldau had one month's theological training in a...
for the first time in August 1993. The main pastor Claes Frankner had invited her to Kristinehamn from Knutby. His son Samuel was already an adherent of Waldau's and moved to Knutby in 1994. The Fossmos moved there in August 1997 with their two children (a third child was born in Knutby).
Work in Knutby
In Knutby, Fossmo and Waldau started in 1997 a month-long training school, which has been held three times a year since then. It attracted young Christians from all over Sweden, some of whom would move to Knutby permanently. Fossmo also started the missionary foundation Aid for Nations. At first it tried to be active in EstoniaEstonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. Later this foundation organized bible schools in Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
(India) and in Hongkong.
Fossmo's web page with Christian links is dominated by Word of Faith (Livets Ord
Livets Ord
Livets Ord, literally Word of the Life, is the largest parish within the Swedish Word of Faith movement. The parish was founded in Uppsala by Ulf Ekman on May 24, 1983, who also served as its leader until 2000. Ekman passed on the local pastorship in Uppsala to Robert Ekh that year and instead...
, Morris Cerullo
Morris Cerullo
Morris Cerullo is an American pentecostal televangelist.-Early life and ministry:Cerullo, whose evangelistic ministry is based in San Diego, California, was born in Passaic, New Jersey to a Russo Jewish/Italian family. His parents died in an automobile accident when he was only two years old...
, Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn
Benny Hinn
Toufik Benedictus "Benny" Hinn הין; born December 3, 1952) is a televangelist, best known for his regular "Miracle Crusades" – revival meeting/faith healing summits that are usually held in large stadiums in major cities, which are later broadcast worldwide on his television program, This Is Your...
, John Avanzini
John Avanzini
Dr. John Avanzini is an American televangelist and "Word of Faith" Bible teacher who preaches a message of financial prosperity...
, Kenneth Copeland
Kenneth Copeland
Kenneth Copeland is an American author, public speaker, and televangelist. He is the founder of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, which preaches a “prosperity gospel”: "Prosperity gospel assures followers that the more they give including in the form of tithes to the church, the more they will receive...
), but also includes Pentecostalism (IBRA Radio
IBRA Radio
IBRA Media is an international Christian broadcasting and media group founded in 1948 by Lewi Pethrus in Sweden. IBRA broadcast Christian programs to more than 100 countries....
, Kensington Temple
Kensington Temple
Kensington Temple is a large Pentecostal Church in the Notting Hill area of London. It is pastored by Reverend Colin Dye, and is the largest church in its denomination, the Elim Pentecostal Church.-History:...
, Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts
Granville "Oral" Roberts was an American Pentecostal televangelist and a Christian charismatic. He founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University....
) and others (Willow Creek Community Church
Willow Creek Community Church
Willow Creek Community Church is a non-denominational, multi-generational Evangelical Christian megachurch located in the Chicago suburb of South Barrington, Illinois. It was founded on October 12, 1975 by Bill Hybels, who is currently the senior pastor...
, Ray Stedman). The web page also shows strong support for the State of Israel. Later, Fossmo was photographed with the Israeli ambassador, Zvi Mazel
Zvi Mazel
Zvi Mazel is an Israeli diplomat. He was the Israeli ambassador to Sweden from 2002 to 2004, after serving as ambassador in Egypt from 1996 to 2001 and, later, Romania...
and the ambassador also invited Fossmo to the embassy.
The Fossmos moved to a house next to Åsa Waldau, and Helge was spending most of his time with her. Reading the Bible, they found that the metaphorical interpretatation of Bride of Christ as the Church is not explicit in the New Testament texts. Fossmo told Waldau that if the Bride were a person, it would have to be her. Waldau then bought a gold ring with seven diamonds. On March 29, 1999 he was the only other person present at the ceremony where Åsa Waldau was betrothed to Jesus. She became the Bride of Christ, and also assumed a new name: Tirsa. Fossmo said in court that he had to mediate Jesus to her, by satisfying her sexually with his hands, which Waldau denied.
Murders, marriages and trials
On December 18, 1999, Fossmo found his wife Heléne dead in the bathtub. Although there was a hole in her skull and although there was a toxic concentration of dextropropoxypheneDextropropoxyphene
Dextropropoxyphene, manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company, is an analgesic in the opioid category. It is intended to treat mild pain and has, in addition, anti-tussive and local anesthetic effects. It has been taken off the market in Europe and the US due to concerns of fatal overdoses and...
in her blood, her death was ruled an accident.
Within a few months Helge Fossmo had a new wife, Alexandra, Tirsa's youngest sister. In June 2001, Fossmo fell ill in an undiagnosed disease. He was nursed by Sara Svensson, who moved into his bedroom. She divorced her husband a year later, but Åsa Waldau did not approve of Fossmo's liaison with her. She was put under church discipline
Church discipline
Church discipline comes in two types: formative and corrective. Formative discipline, or discipleship, seeks to help form the character and life of the believer. In this sense, every church disciplines it members. Jonathan Leeman has noted that "every church disciplines its members formally...
and shunned - in Fossmo's bedroom, where she said she was a sex slave. Pastor Fossmo then coveted his neighbour's wife, Anette Linde. They started an affair in the autumn of 2003. Soon thereafter, Sara Svensson started getting anonymous text messages, which she regarded as prophetic. Together with Fossmo's verbal instructions, these messages convinced her to try to kill Alexandra Fossmo. In the early morning of November 8, 2003, she attacked Alexandra with a hammer. Alexandra woke up and resisted the attack. She called her husband who was out in his car (with his lover, Mss. Linde), as well as some church elders
Elder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
. Sara Svensson was sent away from the community. The assault was not reported to the police, and the Fossmos took a plane to a Bible school in Hongkong. Secretly, Fossmo and Svensson kept in touch. The anonymous text messages also resumed. Svensson was instructed to buy a handgun (not an easy task in Sweden). She was told to shoot Daniel Linde too. The shootings took place in the early morning of January 10, 2004. Alexandra was shot dead in the head in her bed. Daniel Linde was shot in the chest and in his mouth, but he managed to call emergency services and he survived.
The district court sentenced Fossmo to life imprisonment for solicitiation of murder of Alexandra and attempted murder of Daniel Linde, but acquitted him of the murder of Heléne. Fossmo appealed the convictions and the prosecutor appealed the acquittal, but the verdict was upheld. Fossmo's appeal to the Supreme Court was denied. He wrote without success to the Chancellor of Justice. He then appealed to the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
, but on February 13, 2007 the judges decided not to hear his case.
Admission of guilt
At the end of August 2006, Fossmo admitted guilt in an interview with TV4 and said that he would put his cards on the table for the police. Fossmo also had a new lawyer, Peter AlthinPeter Althin
Peter Althin, is a Swedish attorney and politician and a member of the Swedish parliament for the Christian Democrats from 2002 to 2007....
. In March 2007, after three interviews, the police decided not to reopen the case.
On July 20, 2007, Helge Fossmo got married in prison. In October 2009, he published an article where he said he was ashamed of what he had done in the cult.