Immigrants say Finnish police not taking complaints of racist crimes seriously

Man who pushed 8-year-old girl off train still at large

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Immigrants interviewed by Helsingin Sanomat complain that Finnish police do not take reports that they make of racist crimes against them seriously.
      Police see the matter differently. Police inspector Heiki Kankainen says that relations between immigrants and Finnish police are good. She says that efforts have been made in recent years to do more to fight racism and investigate racially motivated crimes.
      “Police are trained to deal with multi-culturalism already during training”, Kankainen says.
     
Espoo resident Farah Abdullaahi has filed three criminal complaints on racist crimes. “I do not expect to get any help from the police in this matter either.”
      His most recent report was made on Tuesday when his daughter was pushed off a train and onto the ground at Espoo station by a man who called her an “ape”. Farah says that he has not heard any results from any of his complaints.
     
Inspector Kankainen says that even the borderline cases are investigated. “If someone uses an insulting epithet against another person while passing by, it is grounds for a criminal complaint”, Kankainen says.
      She adds that in recent years, the police have actually encouraged people to file complaints if there is a reason to do so.
     
Another immigrant with bad experiences in dealing with police is Abdirahman Mohamed Gure, who filed a complaint when his son was nearly run over while crossing the street. The car drove at him at a high speed, and put on the braks at the last minute. Insults were hurled at him from inside the car.
      “We have heard nothing from the police since the complaint was filed. Nothing,” Gure says.
      Heidi Kankainen says that the families should contact the police again. “People should be informed even if the threshold for a preliminary investigation is not crossed, or if the investigation has been suspended.”
     
Chief Inspector of Police Robin Lardot says that one factor affecting relations between immigrants and police is the experiences that the immigrants have had with officials in their home countries, which can be reflected in attitudes in Finland.
      “It must also be kept in mind that impolite behaviour is not a crime under law. No matter how much sympathy a police officer might feel toward a person, launching a preliminary investigation requires that there is a suspicion that a crime has been committed”, Heidi Kankainen says.
     
The number of racist crimes in Finland has grown in recent years. In 2003 there were 522 suspected cases, and four years later the number had risen to 698.
     “More reports are made, and the racist characteristics in the background are recognised more”, Kankainen says.
     It is estimated that 70 per cent of immigrants do not report racism that they have experienced to the police.
     According to a recent survey by the European Union, one in three Somalis in the Helsinki region say that they have been victim of a racist crime.
     
Police are still investigating Tuesday’s railway station shoving incident. They are asking the woman who helped 8-year-old Amal Farah Abdi at Espoo Station at 2:00 in the afternoon to come forward.
     Investigators say that the backpack that the girl was wearing cushioned the fall, and bad injuries were averted.
     Police say that the man who pushed the girl probably got on the E-train at Kauklahti. The girl says that he was wearing blue jeans and had curly brown hair. She also said that a woman at the station helped her get up.
     Police ask any witnesses to all the violent crimes unit of the West Uusimaa Police at (09) 525 4380.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Incident at train station draws attention to racist acts aimed at children (14.5.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat