Finland: Seven Migrant Men Acquitted of Charges in Disabled Woman's Rape Case
The Court of Appeal has overturned the previous ruling by the district court and acquitted all the men involved in the case. The initial verdict had found that the defendants had exploited the woman.
The Turku Court of Appeal has overturned the prison sentences of seven men accused of raping a disabled woman in Tampere city, Finland.1
The court's decision reversed the ruling given by the Pirkanmaa District Court in 2022.2
However, the Court of Appeal found that “the men were not aware of the woman's disability” or did “not knowingly exploit it”.
In its decision, the Court of Appeal emphasized “people's right to decide on their own sexual behavior”. It also reminded that “disability does not automatically mean an inability to consent to sexual interaction”.
The court stated that “while the woman's interaction may not conform to typical social norms”, her behavior was “not particularly attention-grabbing or specifically related to disability”.
According to the court's ruling, the men were apparently not "intentionally aware" of any deficiency in the woman's ability to make decisions.
The ruling also noted that “criminal law should not aim to maintain or create morality or uniform sexual behavior”, as “sexual life can vary greatly between individuals”.
The decision freed the men from liability for compensation, which had previously been set at €2,500-3,000 for each man.
An appeal against the ruling can be made to the Supreme Court by August 27.
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