Finnish Police Investigating Multiple Deaths Related to Home Births
Finnish police departments are conducting several criminal investigations related to home births. Two cases involve the death of a newborn child.
Finnish Police Investigating Multiple Deaths Related to Home Births
Finnish police are conducting several criminal investigations related to home births. The information became public when Yle submitted a freedom of information request to police departments.
The investigations are currently being conducted by the West Uusimaa, Ostrobothnia, and Central Finland police departments. Two criminal investigations involve the death of a newborn related to home birth.
West Uusimaa police are investigating two cases. The first occurred in Kauniainen in early January 2025. A newborn was taken to the intensive care unit of the obstetrics department, where he died after only a few hours of life. According to investigation leader Klaus Geiger, the cause of death was oxygen deprivation and aspiration of amniotic fluid during a prolonged delivery. The case is being investigated as causing death through negligence. Two people working as midwives are suspected. The investigation is expected to be referred for prosecution consideration later this year.
The second West Uusimaa case occurred this spring in Espoo. It is being investigated as negligence causing bodily injury and as unauthorised activity by a healthcare worker. According to investigation leader Elina Hultin, further details cannot be disclosed due to the sensitive nature of the matter.
Ostrobothnia police are also investigating a criminal report related to a home birth that occurred last year. According to Head of Investigation Juha Järvelin, there is no suspicion of intentional crime and the child did not die. The matter concerns negligence.
Central Finland police are investigating a case in which a newborn died in connection with a home birth in 2024. A criminal report was filed for causing death through negligence. Police investigated whether a midwife present at the birth had committed a crime. The preliminary investigation is expected to be completed in autumn.
According to responses to Yle's freedom of information request, Eastern Finland police conducted an investigation in 2023 into a cause of death related to a home birth. The case has been closed and there is no criminal suspicion. West Uusimaa police also closed an investigation in 2025 in Kirkkonummi without criminal suspicion.
According to Finnish health authority statistics, between 2020 and 2025, seven children have died as a result of planned home births. The number of home births has increased rapidly – in 2025 the number of planned home births was already double compared to 2020.
Source: Google News EE — Crime (et)