Sorrow and Joy (Sorg og glæde)

SORROW AND JOY

Here he is.

Hello.

Where is Signe?

And Maria?

Johannes, something terrible has happened.

Signe... Signe...

Signe has killed little Maria! She cut her neck with a kitchen knife!

- What are you saying? Where is Signe? - I never want to see her again!

What are you saying? I don't understand. Where is Signe?

She called and said she'd killed Maria.

We hurried over here, and she was by the phone and said Maria was upstairs.

I ran up, and Maria was lying dead in Signe's bed.

Get up, please.

Get up now!

I'll never set eyes on her again!

Weren't you supposed to be here all afternoon?

Yes, to help her sew the curtains. But she couldn't find the material.

- It's in her room. On the chair. - We couldn't find it.

I thought you wanted me to come every two hours.

- And the swimming baths? - She didn't want to.

- So you left? - Yes, that was the deal.

Else... try and explain once again what happened?

Signe called and said she'd killed Maria.

Where is Signe now?

We called for an ambulance, and the police came.

They took Signe upstairs and asked her, if she had done it.

Then the police drove her away, and the paramedics took Maria.

Somebody took the bed linen and the mattress and washed off the blood.

From the phone as well...

So she's at the police station?

Yes... And they asked us to tell you to go down there.

- But where's Maria? - I don't know where she is.

- Steen Wallø. Welcome. - Johannes Lidenius.

- Can you explain why this happened? - Explain it?

No, not at all.

A compulsive idea... insanity.

- And where were you? - Giving a lecture in Funen.

At Ejby County College.

Your wife was committed to Risskov mental hospital?

She suffers from a depression, but...

She's also very restless. She can't sleep. She hasn't slept for a week.

- Why is that? - Because she feels restless.

She was at home this afternoon -

- and her mother was supposed to be there, too.

Unfortunately she left.

How is your relationship?

It's good. She's a bit ambivalent towards me.

- What does that mean? - Ambivalent?

Yes.

She loves me, and she hates me, but...

But she loves our daughter more than anything else.

How was your wife, when you left?

She was in good spirits.

She was feeding our daughter.

Thanks.

Your daughter is nine months old?

Yes.

- Are those photos of Maria? - Yes.

Do you wish to see them?

No.

Where is Signe now? Is she here?

No, she was taken to Risskov.

But do not contact your wife, until we authorize it.

- No? - We must check your statement first.

Oh, it's you. It's late.

How is Signe?

Signe... Signe has killed little Maria.

It's not true. That can't be true.

She cut her in the neck with a kitchen knife.

What's the matter? Is it Signe?

Signe has killed little Maria.

- I went to see Signe. - Good, Else.

How is she?

She's very much influenced by the drugs.

Almost expressionless. She can't even cry.

- I brought a letter from Signe. - Really?

- I thought we couldn't be in touch. - No...

But nobody said anything. The nurse saw it and all...

She has a private room, but they watch her 24 hours.

- Did you read it? - No.

Signe said I could, but I haven't.

"Dear Johannes."

"This is very difficult for me. Maria is dead... but it should have been me."

"I can't comprehend it. It must be a horrid dream."

"We may as well see our relationship as terminated. There's nothing left."

"You have most lovingly bullied everything around us -

- and dominated beyond the bounds of propriety."

"This was the only way I could disengage myself."

"Dear Johannes. Little Maria is dead."

"Our love nugget, as we called her."

"And I miss her terribly."

"A nightmare before my eyes."

"Obsessive thoughts made real."

"Extremely manic and depressive at the same time."

"My love to Johannes has died. Etc., etc., etc."

Is that what it says? "Etc., etc."?

Yes.

Nobody must read this.

It's completely logical.

Nothing psychotic about it. She did it to disengage herself.

- But she doesn't mean it. - But that's the way one reads it.

And somehow she does mean it.

She'll be declared psychotic and will be sentenced to psychiatric detention.

So she'll not be released until she's made a full recovery.

And a judge will then decide whether she can be discharged.

But I must be honest and say that the outlook is gloomy.

I've seen two similar cases.

The first was a women who killed her 6-year-old daughter with an axe.

She was placed in psychiatric detention for two and a half years.

Three months later she drowned herself in the North Sea.

The other case was a woman who smothered her 6-month-old daughter with a pillow.

She was also committed to psychiatric detention.

Here she hanged herself in an electric cord.

- That doesn't sound good. - I'm sorry. But you must be realistic.

Of course.

But there is an alternative to psych. detention, namely psych. care.

In that case the hospital itself will decide when to discharge her.

This opens for a quicker re-socialization.

- Is it possible that Signe might get... -... psychiatric care? No.

No, I doubt it very much.

In the case of homicide she'll receive psych. detention.

Under all circumstances her release will be far in the future.

I presume you'd like to be alone?

- Flemming Gregersen. Hello. - Søren Nauer.

- Hello. - I don't know if you know us...

We both have children in Signe's class. We don't want to intrude on you -

- but might we have a talk with you?

Of course. Come in. You may hang your coats there.

- Coffee? - Yes, please.

Obviously we're all pained by what happened.

So last night all parents in Signe's class got together.

Also to agree on what to say to our children.

- Of course. - Explain to them that Signe is ill...

And that it will be a while before she gets back. But...

The kids have always been very fond of Signe...

And we parents always felt they were in the best of hands with Signe.

So...

We made a statement that each and every parent -

- wants her back as our children's teacher.

- And all the parents are behind this? - Yes... They all signed the petition.

And you all know that she killed our child?

Yes.

And yet you'll leave your children in her care?

Yes... She was ill.

Yes.

I have a bad conscience. We should've reported Signe sick a week ago.

I could tell she felt terrible. Have a seat, please.

She was not herself at all.

She came to see me on Wednesday to re-schedule a choir.

She came at 9 and then again at 11, asking for the same thing.

She knows. She felt ashamed afterwards.

- I had a visit by Gregersen... - And Nauer. They came here as well.

It's a big thing they're doing. You realize that, don't you?

- Yes. - And very unexpected.

But also an enormous help, in order to get Signe back.

And we'll do everything possible to support that.

I'm very happy to hear that.

Aren't you Signe's husband?

Say hello from Lene, Majken and Johanne.

- She's your teacher? - Yes. Lene, Majken and Johanne. Okay?

- I'll remember. - Thanks.

I have to be honest. It's totally unrealistic.

It's very engaging that they want Signe back, but...

It will make no difference. She'll get psych. detention.

- Listen... - No, listen to me!

And then it would take 2-3 years for the idea to be relevant.

- And then it would be another class. - Tell me again...

What decides whether she gets psych. detention or psych. care?

First a forensic psychiatrist must write a statement.

- So it depends on his evaluation? - Absolutely.

Johannes...

I understand why you care so much.

But it's also a way of repressing the tragedy.

Signe killed your child.

What about talking to a therapist yourself?

No. I have no need for that.

This is totally hopeless.

I talked to the psychiatrist, who will write the statement.

I asked him about Signe's condition, and he said he didn't know.

- He couldn't just X-ray Signe's head. - He couldn't X-ray her head?

Right. I asked when she would be discharged, but he didn't know.

I just had to be happy that she wasn't in prison.

He's the man that will decide our fate!

- What's his name? - Birkemose. Jan Birkemose.

- Why is he so obnoxious? - He has decided it's all my fault.

Because I didn't take proper care of her, when she was a baby.

Hence she fears being abandoned and has a low frustration threshold.

- Where did he get that? - The files.

When she was admitted the first time, ten years ago.

But it's true...

I often left Signe to Vera, our maid.

She learned to say 'Vera', before she said 'Mom'.

- He also wants to talk to you. - Of course.

- Johannes speaking. - Inspector Wallø.

Hello.

We've now finished our investigation, so you can see your wife as of now.

- Thank you... - But you can't be with her on your own.

The hospital has been informed about this.

- That was all. Goodbye. - Bye.