Several violent robberies in downtown Helsinki

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About a dozen boys or young men have been robbed in downtown Helsinki in the course of the past two weeks. The majority of the incidents have occurred in the Kaivopuisto and Kaisaniemi parks in the evening or later at night, while some of the robberies have taken place in the street. Police are looking for a group of dark-skinned foreigners aged 15 to 22 who are suspected of having been involved in these crimes.
      All victims have been male, and most of them were under 18. Some of them have been the worse for drink, but even some sober youngsters have been the victims of muggings.
      A typical robbery take has included mainly wallets and mobile phones.
     
One characteristic of the robberies in the streets has been violence or the threat of violence.
      "The muggings have been cold-blooded. Many of the victims have been assaulted without warning", reported Inspector Sampo Suomala of the Helsinki Police Department on Thursday.
      "No severe injuries have been caused yet, even though the victims have been hit and kicked in the head. In any event, some of them have had to go to to the A&E clinic for medical treatment."
      In one case the victim has been threatened with a knife.
     
All robberies follow a similar pattern: First several youngsters approach a victim asking for cigarettes, for example. Then a larger group surrounds him, starting to threaten or assault him.
      Typically the number of robbers has been 5 to 7, except in one case, where the victim estimated that it was as many as 10 to 15.
      Over the last weekend of August only, a total of seven such street robberies were reported to the police.
      "Occasional similar incidents have occurred earlier and even since the end of August. Nevertheless, it was over the last weekend of last month that the muggings reached their peak", Suomala notes.
     
Police are advising people to avoid going alone to downtown Helsinki and to suspicious places in particular after dark. As a result of the increased number of muggings, the Helsinki downtown police precinct has set up a special group to investigate the reported robberies.
      The aim of the police is both to solve the offences and to prevent crimes from happening again. Therefore, the special group is to cooperate even with the City of Helsinki's Youth Department.
      The Helsinki Police Department is asking any potential eye-witnesses to contact the police on the downtown precinct's telephone number: (09) 189 4175. Possible robbery victims are to phone immediately after the assault on the emergency number 10022.


Links:
  Helsinki Police Department
  Youth Department, City of Helsinki

Helsingin Sanomat