Suspended sentence for police officer convicted of raping a minor

Crime revealed when victim contacted Helsinki net police

print this

A Helsinki police constable received a suspended sentence of two years' imprisonment for the rape of a minor.
      The crime, which took place in November 2006, was revealed when the victim later contacted an Internet "virtual police" line.
      The case was reported in the Wednesday edition of Ilta-Sanomat.
     
The police officer found guilty of the crime was dismissed after the investigation was completed. No other similar cases have been found in the constable's background.
      According to the Deputy Chief of the Helsinki Police Department Jari Liukku, the police have also not received any other contacts from the public concerning the officer in question.
     
The 51-year-old constable working in the Helsinki Police Department had lured a 16-year-old girl - who had allegedly told him she was on the run from home and had nowhere to sleep - into his car and thence to his apartment by showing her his police badge.
      In the apartment the girl had become intoxicated on the alcohol served to her by the officer and had fallen asleep.
      After she fell asleep, the constable had raped her twice. He also took pictures of the situation, which he then placed on his personal computer.
     
The Helsinki District Court handed down a suspended two-year prison sentence.
      Researcher Ville Hinkkanen from the National Research Institute of Legal Policy reports that in 60% of cases that satisfy the basic legal criteria of rape, the person found guilty can expect a custodial [and not suspended] sentence.
      The duration of the prison sentence is from one to six years.
      In recent years there have been a number of complaints at the relative leniency of sentencing for rape or sexual molestation, with courts in Eastern Finland coming in for particular criticism, and Amnesty International among others has singled out Finland's nonchalant attitude towards crimes of sexual assault. .
     
The "virtual group" operating within the Helsinki Police Department comprises three officers.
      Young people can contact the police via social networking sites such as IRC-Galleria and Facebook, via e-mail, or through the Windows Live Messenger messenging service.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Court decision on rape case sparks furious public debate (1.10.2002)
  Tougher punishments urged for child molesters (14.1.2008)
  Amnesty International criticises Finnish rape legislation (17.9.2008)

See also:
  TV report: surprisingly lenient sentences for sexual assault (22.6.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat