Helsingen Sanomat
May 7, 2010
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Prosecution+Service+wants+to+examine+allegations+of+paedophilia+in+Laestadian+religious+community/1135256665100
Deputy Prosecutor General Jorma Kalske wants to find out if it is possible to bring to court a case in which a woman from Ostrobothnia says that she was repeatedly raped as a child.
A woman using the pseudonym Minna told her story in Helsingin Sanomat on May 1st. She had been trying for 16 years to get something done within the Conservative Laestadian movement, but the community blocked attempts to make a criminal complaint.
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| Photo by MARKUS SCHREIBER |
Kalske hopes that Minna would come forward and file a criminal complaint, even though 20 years have passed since the events, putting the crimes beyond the reach of prosecution.
"Interest awoke whether or anything can be done, or if the official apparatus is toothless in this respect", Kalske says. "This is a serious and unfortunate case. There is a public interest here of such a degree that it is at least necessary to determine what took place."
A law came into effect from the beginning of 2006, according to which it is possible for a district court to investigate serious crimes that took place more than 20 years ago, if this is required by the public interest.
However, State Prosecutor Anu Mantila emphasises that this does not apply to crimes committed before 2006, which means that it would not be possible to bring charges in Minna's case.
Nevertheless, Mantila says that an investigation is needed into whether or not the right to prosecute really has expired in these cases. "It is terrible if a person cannot get justice", she says.
The Office of the Prosecutor General is also interested in Minna's claims about a Conservative Laestadian police officer in her home town who had been aware of the allegations of rape, but took no measures in response to the claims.
Increasing numbers of cases of sexual abuse within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland are coming up every day. "Currently the figure is 23", says Martti Esko, head of family work at the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Thirteen of the new cases have come up within a week.
In late April, Lutheran Church leaders urged the victims of abuse to come out with their stories.
Church ministers and Laestadian lay preachers have been implicated. Archbishop
Jukka Paarma said on Monday that there are four sure cases of abuse where the abuser was a member of the clergy.
"These new cases [that have been brought to the attention of the Church] are from around the country. They are mainly from circles other than the Laestadians", Esko says.
Child welfare expert Johanna Hurtig says that new reports have emerged in recent weeks. During this week she has learned of three new ones, and new information has been added to ones that had been revealed previously. Now Hurtig knows of four cases in which one man has abused the same young girl.
"In at least some of the cases, the men have known each other, and in a few of them, they were together committing the acts", Hurtig says.
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