Karen says none of the things itching at the tip of her tongue. This is far from the first time a husband, father, or brother of a rape victim has felt they have both reason and the right to feel personally violated. And not the first time that has made things twice as hard for the real victim.

She says none of that. Instead, she just calmly explains why they want to ask some follow-up questions. Does Greta by any chance recall hearing or seeing a moped in connection with the attack?

Her answer makes Karen sit up straighter.

‘Actually, yes, I think I do. I’m not a hundred per cent, but I think . . . No, yes, I remember now.’

‘What, did you see it, or just hear it?’

‘I saw it. You know I took a taxi home from the hospital where I work, right? I wasn’t supposed to come off my shift until early the next morning, but I was sent home because I was running a temperature. And I remember seeing a guy on a moped further down the street when the taxi slowed down.’

‘Do you remember what he looked like?’

‘No, I didn’t give it any thought. But the moped drove off at the same time the taxi did. And they were heading in the same direction, down the street, so it can’t have been him.’

Unless he circled back, Karen thinks to herself.

‘I’ve read your account, of course, but do you think you’d be able to tell us again what happened next? After you got out of the taxi, I mean.’

Greta Hansen looks reluctant.

‘Well, you know . . . I mean, I don’t remember anything from the attack that I didn’t tell you before. Do I really have to go over all of that again?’

Her voice grows sharp, almost shrill, towards the end of the last sentence.

‘You don’t have to tell us about the attack itself,’ Karen reassures her with a soothing smile. ‘I just want to know if you remember anything else about what happened right before. The taxi drove off, and then . . . ?’

‘Well, like I’ve told you, I couldn’t find my keys. I had to squat down outside the door and rummage through my handbag, all the way to the bottom. I had a pretty high fever, so I might have been a bit unfocused. I remember being so cold I was shaking, even though it was a mild night.’

Karen waits, says nothing.

‘Well, and then he was just there. Appeared out of nowhere. Pushed me over onto all fours and th—’

Her voice breaks.

‘We don’t have to talk about what happened after that,’ Karen cuts in quickly. ‘I only have one more question. Do you remember sensing which direction he came from? From the right or the left or straight behind?’

Greta Hansen closes her eyes and seems to cast her mind back.