Former ski-jumping Olympic and World Champion Matti Nykänen was remanded in custody on Friday under suspicion of attempted manslaughter.
Nykänen’s defence counsel requested that the remand hearing and the documents associated with it should remain secret, owing to the sensitive information surrounding the case. The Tampere District Court agreed to the request.
However, no decision has yet been made on whether the actual trial surrounding the alleged knife fight should be held behind closed doors or not.
Police released Nykänen’s wife Mervi Tapola-Nykänen, on the grounds that she had had no part in the stabbing that took place on Tuesday at a summer cabin. She may be heard as a material witness if she agrees to testify against her husband.
The technical investigations of the incident at the cabin are still incomplete. Among other things, the police are waiting for the results of DNA examinations, which they hope will clarify the course of events.
The preliminary gathering of evidence should be completed in one to two months, after which time the prosecutor will determine whether Nykänen will be brought to trial. Prosecutor Mika Mäkinen noted that every effort would be made to accelerate the process, given the high level of publicity surrounding the case.
Nykänen was arrested on Tuesday evening. The motive for the stabbing is unclear. According to police, Nykänen was very drunk at the time of his arrest. The 59-year-old man who was stabbed was treated in Tampere University Central Hospital. He was expected to be released over the weekend.
