The key witness speaks – but: The eagerly awaited testimony of the wife and mother in the Ingebrigtsen trial takes place behind closed doors

Is Tone Ingebrigtsen betraying her husband? Is she defending him? Or is she keeping quiet? These are the questions that have been troubling the Norwegian public in recent weeks.

Ingebrigtsen's appearance in court on Monday morning began with a bang. She gave the judge her personal details: Tone Eva Ingebrigtsen, 55 years old, living in Sandnes, Norway. Then she set a condition. She said: "I only want to testify behind closed doors."

In this trial, she finds herself "among the people I love." She added that the media has hyped up this court case sufficiently, greedily digging into every detail at the expense of her family. She asks for understanding that this statement is difficult for her: "My family has received too much negative media attention over the past three years."

The defendant in the trial before the Sandnes District Court is Tone Ingebrigtsen's husband, Gjert, 57. The couple has seven children; their son, Jakob, has won two Olympic gold medals : in Tokyo over 1500 meters and in Paris over 5000 meters. Brothers Henrik and Filip are former top athletes, including European champions over 1500 meters.

The father had supported the trio since childhood, teaching himself the ropes of coaching. The project was a success in sporting terms; the Ingebrigtsens were exceptional figures in world sports and considered a model family in Norway. Until the brothers broke with Gjert as their father and coach in 2022 , accusing him of years of psychological and physical abuse in an open letter the following year.

Because the allegations in the open letter were so detailed and, in the eyes of the authorities, credible, the public prosecutor's office launched an investigation into domestic violence and brought Gjert Ingebrigtsen to court. If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison.

The trial concerns abuse of Jakob, now 24, and his 19-year-old sister, a former track and field athlete. The allegations made by the brothers Henrik and Filip are either time-barred or lacking evidence. During their testimony, the siblings painted a picture of a childhood marked by violence and abuse; Gjert Ingebrigtsen rejected these allegations and accused the children of "pathological ambition."

It's one person's word against another's. The prosecution will likely have a hard time providing the ultimate proof – which is where the mother, Tone, comes in. The court hopes to get decisive testimony from her; she has not been charged herself. In the Norwegian media, she is portrayed as a silent observer of family life.

Tone Ingebrigtsen remained silent during police interrogations. The court summoned her as a witness, and she appeared there on Monday, accompanied by her husband and the defendant. The 55-year-old is only required to provide her personal details in court. Because of her marriage to the defendant, she could refuse to make any further statements under Norwegian law. Tone Ingebrigtsen has waived this right. But what she says remains a mystery for now.

After some back and forth, the judge granted Tone Ingebrigtsen's request for a closed hearing on Monday. Only those directly involved—the defendant, Jakob and his sister, the prosecution, and the defense—were allowed to remain in the courtroom. Jakob Ingebrigtsen interrupted a training camp in Spain specifically to attend his mother's testimony.

The judge says he doesn't appreciate being put in a difficult position, but he prioritizes the importance of Tone Ingebrigtsen's testimony over public interest in the case. This is unusual; normally, in Norway, members of the press are allowed to remain in the courtroom during testimony without an audience, but they are not allowed to take minutes or report on the proceedings.

The court's decision to grant Tone Ingebrigtsen's request is causing a stir in Norway. The Norwegian Press Association told the newspaper Aftenposten: "We regret that an information vacuum has now arisen. When such important statements take place behind closed doors, the verdict of a trial is difficult for the public to understand." Furthermore, it should have been clarified before the trial which parts would take place behind closed doors.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen's lawyer also criticized the action. While admitting to Norwegian media that this was "the hardest day of Tone Ingebrigtsen's life," she said: "She has sought publicity for 20 years. I therefore cannot understand today's decision."

The transcript of Tone Ingebrigtsen's testimony will remain confidential, but the judge will include the statement in his reasoning for the verdict. How detailed this will be is up to him. The verdict is scheduled to be announced in mid-May.

Until then, the public will only have access to the statements about the mother's role made by her children and the defendant. Jakob Ingebrigtsen said earlier in the trial that the mother had witnessed several instances of abuse. "It was normal for her not to care," he said.

Gjert Ingebrigtsen, on the other hand, defended his wife in court. He portrayed her as a "wonderful and caring mother" to his seven children. Here, too, it's one person's word against another's.