Line Marie laid to rest

The Norwegian 14-year-old girl Line Marie Andersen was laid to rest on Friday afternoon, even though the cause of her death in Malta remains shrouded in mystery.

Hundreds of people packed the church in her home town of Softeland, Bergen, the Norwegian press said.

Andersen, who was on her first trip to Malta, was admitted to hospital on July 29 and died a few days later in what the autopsy said was caused by intracranial haemorrhage.

She had earlier felt sick and fell at St Aloysius College where she was attending English language classes.

The Norwegian press said that classmates laid a rose beside her coffin during Friday's poignant ceremony for which various members of the Norwegian Oympic team were also present. Andersen was a prominent member of that team.

Fr Roar Stromme, who presided over the ceremony, described Line Marie's death as a tragic accident. He said that the girl's family had suffered more because of media speculation that the girl could have allegedly used Ecstacy while in Malta.

Details of the magisterial inquiry and the Health Division's internal inquiry have not been made public as yet though sources said that the division's inquiry is expected to show that one of the hospital tests carried out on the girl had resulted positive for illegal substances.

Andersen's body was repatriated to her homeland only last week after the magistrate gave the green light.

A spokesman for the family said there were still a lot of question marks in connection with the case, especially since a lot of "contradictory statements" have been made.

The family and friends of the girl had "completely ruled out" the use of drugs. The Norwegian Olympic team yesterday held a brief remembrance ceremony in honour of Andersen.