Key figure in Laestadian movement sentenced to prison

Middle-aged man apologised to girl, but continued abuse

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A middle-aged man described as an influential figure in the Conservative Laestadians, a revival movement of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church, has been sentenced to prison for molesting a girl who is a relative.
      The man was given a four-year prison sentence in Espoo District Court for aggravated sexual abuse of a child. He was also stripped of his military rank.
      The court found that the man had abused the girl, a close relative, on several occasions between 2003 and 2005. The victim was 11 years old when the last incidents took place.
     
There were up to six incidents of abuse, and they took place at night. At one point, the man had apologised to the girl for what he did, but later continued the abuse.
      The victim suffered severe pain as well as serious psychological and psychosomatic symptoms.
     
The man had previously served as chairman of a large regional organisation of the Conservative Laestadians, and once held a post in the Central Committee of Conservative Laestadian Congregations (SRK).
      Also convicted on Thursday was a younger man, who was also a relative. He was given an eight-month suspended sentence for sexual abuse of a child, and aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Both crimes were committed when he was underage. They took place in 2002 and 2003.
      One of the younger man’s victims was the same as with the middle-aged man. The first victim was just five years old at the time.
     
The middle-aged man was also charged with aggravated rape, and the young man was charged with rape. The court rejected these charges for lack of evidence.
      The middle-aged man denied all charges, but the young man admitted them partially.
      The older man was ordered to pay the victim EUR 35,000 in restitution. The young man was ordered to pay a total of EUR 14,000 to his two victims.
      The trial was held behind closed doors to protect the privacy of the victims, and the court documents were ordered sealed until 2070.
     
SRK Secretary General Tuomas Hänninen gave a brief comment on the case on Thursday.
      “The Finnish system of justice has worked. I have faith in it”, Hänninen said.
      An internal study by the SRK on the activities of the movement’s leadership in connection with cases of paedophilia is ready, but it has not been handled within SRK. A public statement is to be given on the matter in April.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Leading Laestadian figure charged with serious sex crimes (7.1.2011)
  Key figure in Laestadian movement remanded on incest suspicions (29.9.2010)

See also:
  Incest victim of Laestadian preacher tries to piece his childhood together (12.1.2010)
  Conservative Laestadians´ lifestyle debate boils over onto the Internet (23.10.2007)
  "I left the Laestadian revival movement" ( 22.3.2009)

Links:
  Central Committee of Conservative Laestadian Congregations (SRK)

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