Raivo Oja sentenced to eight years imprisonment for death of fiancée in Espoo
The District Court of West Uusimaa sentenced 66-year-old Raivo Oja to eight years in prison for the death of his fiancée in Matinkylä, Espoo. The man left the injured woman without help.
Espoo man sentenced for death – left dying fiancée alone in bed
The District Court of West Uusimaa has sentenced 66-year-old Raivo Oja to eight years and 20 days imprisonment for the death of his fiancée, according to Ilta-Sanomat. The homicide occurred in Matinkylä, Espoo in late July 2024.
Police arrested Oja on 29 July 2024 on suspicion of murdering his 48-year-old female partner. The couple lived together in the same apartment block where the act took place. According to observations by neighbours who witnessed the arrest, the man was wearing a bloodstained shirt.
According to the prosecutor, Oja had caused his fiancée to fall during the night of 27–28 July – possibly by pushing her – so that the woman's back of the head struck the floor forcefully. The victim sustained a profusely bleeding head wound and a severe intracranial injury, which caused her death.
The man did not call for help or even attempt to provide first aid. According to his own account, he helped the woman into bed and brought her a towel to stop the bleeding. After that, he believed the woman was sleeping.
During the preliminary investigation, Oja described his actions on the night of the incident as follows:
– I thought she was sleeping and let her sleep. I did housework until nine and watched television as well. I don't remember the exact times, but I spent quite a long time doing housework in the kitchen, as there was a lot to do there.
The woman's work colleague found her lifeless in bed on Monday evening, 29 July – approximately two days after the incident occurred. The emergency centre was called, but the woman was already dead.
The District Court determined that Oja, as a live-in partner, had a special duty to prevent his fiancée's death. Since he did nothing to obtain medical help for the woman, the court concluded that the man must have regarded death as a quite probable consequence of his action. Oja was convicted of manslaughter as a crime of omission.
The prosecutor also sought a conviction for assault, which allegedly occurred in May–June 2024. The woman had sustained bruises to her face, amongst other injuries. According to the prosecutor, the man had previously also assaulted his fiancée in a life-threatening manner by strangling her. However, the court rejected the assault charges due to lack of evidence.
Oja did not hide his face in court. He was no longer in custody at the time of the proceedings, arriving at the hearing as a free man.
Source: Ilta-Sanomat