45-year-old man charged with human trafficking and rape in Espoo – prosecutor seeks 13 years imprisonment
The Western Uusimaa District Court is hearing an exceptional case involving sexual offences and human trafficking. The prosecutor is seeking a 13-year custodial sentence for a 45-year-old man.
Western Uusimaa District Court opens doors to human trafficking case conducted in secrecy for a year
The Western Uusimaa District Court is hearing closing arguments from the parties this week and next in an exceptional sexual offence and human trafficking trial that has been conducted behind closed doors for approximately one year. Hämeen Sanomat reports that after the hearings, the judicial panel will retire to draft a judgement.
The prosecutor is seeking a 13-year custodial sentence for the 45-year-old man. The charges include aggravated human trafficking, aggravated rape, rape and sexual abuse – with a number of foreign women as victims.
Promises of a romantic relationship and employment
The alleged offences occurred between 2019 and 2024 and took place primarily in Espoo and Kirkkonummi. According to the prosecutor, the man lured women from South America and Africa, from poor circumstances, to Finland with promises of a romantic relationship and employment.
The man, who worked in construction, presented himself on social media as a wealthy businessman. In reality, he had been subject to a business ban due to previous criminal cases and was a debtor in enforcement proceedings.
"(The accused) promised the women not only a romantic relationship and marriage, but also that he could help them find employment in his own companies or otherwise promised to help them get jobs in Finland," the prosecutor said in the public part of the trial last October.
According to the prosecutor, most of the victims spoke only Spanish and had no means of understanding how Finnish society operated. They were therefore entirely dependent on the man.
Group sex events lasting for hours
The women reportedly participated, according to the prosecutor, in group sex events lasting for hours – so-called sex parties – at the man's home and at a Wildclub estate located in Kirkkonummi. The events were attended by the man's acquaintances and men who had responded to sex advertisements.
"At the sex parties, the complainants were forced to participate in sexual acts even after they were no longer able to continue due to, for example, exhaustion. They were threatened with various sanctions if they did not continue throughout the night," the prosecutor said.
According to the prosecutor, the man pressured the women by threatening that non-compliance would result in denial of a residence permit and forced return to their home country. The women had to engage in sexual acts partly free of charge, partly for money – of which the main accused took a share for himself.
Defence denies abuse
The main accused's defence lawyer Lari Ruokamo presented his view of the case last year.
"An attempt is being made to construct and reinforce a certain image of a monster through this kind of storytelling – as far as sexual relations are concerned, my client has spoken openly about his wishes in advance, his preferences did not come as a surprise to anyone according to the defence's view," Ruokamo said.
According to Ruokamo, no one was forced or pressured into sexual relations, and the man did not arrange for people to come to Finland for the purpose of exploitation. The man denies all abuse.
Also work-related charges
Some of the charges relate to exploitation of labour. According to the prosecutor, relatives and acquaintances of the victim women worked at the man's construction sites. He referred to them, according to the prosecutor, as "six-euro men" based on the hourly wage he paid them.
In addition to the main accused, there are a number of other defendants who face charges including exploitation of a person engaged in sexual commerce.
Source: Hämeen Sanomat