Big Brother contestant Mika fined for sexual abuse

Court says he undressed and caressed a sleeping fellow inmate

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Mika, 27, a contestant from Helsinki in last autumn's Big Brother reality-TV show, was fined for sexually abusing a sleeping fellow contestant on Tuesday. The Espoo District Court ordered him to pay 75 day-fines, which amounted to a total of EUR 675.
      The judgement resulted from a situation where Mika was seen to take off Sorella's trousers after she had fallen asleep next to him. He then pulled a blanket over himself and Sorella. The incident was shown on television at the time and was repeated from a DVD in the courtroom.
      The nocturnal incident was preceded by an evening get-together where they both drank alcohol. They moved to the bed together and caressed each other under the blanket.
     
Mika denied that he had committed any crime. According to him it was Sorella who was taking the initiative during the evening, when they had kissed and caressed.
      Mika also said that he had stopped touching Sorella after she had fallen asleep. The court did not believe this claim.
      Sorella fell asleep and started snoring audibly in the bed around two o'clock in the morning. Mika got hold of her nose and pushed her shoulder, as a result of which she woke up momentarily and turned her back on the man.
      According to the court, Sorella soon fell asleep again. Mika pulled off Sorella's trousers so that her hips and bottom were revealed. The man pulled the blanket over himself and her, pressed himself against the woman and - judging by the movement of the blanket - continued to caress her.
     
The court stated that the earlier events did not justify Mika's actions. "If a person is unconscious or in deep sleep, he or she cannot express their wishes", noted the court.
      Sorella kept her trousers on all the time when she was awake, so she had not in any way consented to Mika's taking them off. Mika fundamentally breached her right to decide for herself.
      Sorella did not demand any damages from Mika during the court case.
     
The case has generated considerable interest in the tabloid media, and has probably done no harm to the ratings of the current Big Brother series, the third such localisation of the format in Finland. Big Brother Suomi 2007 was launched on Sub-TV in late August and runs through until December.


Links:
  Big Brother Suomi (Wikipedia)

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