Norwegian police bore the brunt of criticism Monday when an independent commission highlighted serious failures in the response to a July 2011 bombing and shooting attack that claimed 77 lives.
Had those failures been avoided, the perpetrator could have been stopped earlier, the report argued.
"The authorities' ability to protect the people on Utoya island failed, the July 22 Commission said. "A more rapid police operation was a realistic possibility."
Police Chief Oystein Maeland said he accepted the main findings of the report, saying it was "difficult reading for all who did their utmost on that day. But it is hardest for those who have heard that their loved ones could have been rescued had the police response worked better."
