Helsinki Police Department earlier reported that three cases of harassment had been brought to its attention in connection with the incidents on New Year’s Eve, and a report of an offence had been filed on two of them. However, security stewards posted on Senaatintori Square have informed the police of several more assaults that were committed that evening. Helsinki Police Department has subsequently also recorded as offences other cases of sexual harassment observed by security stewards.
The police stresses that persons targeted by sexual harassment and other offences should not hesitate to report the offence to the police – regardless of whether the attacker was known to them or a complete stranger, Finnish or foreign.
- The police have zero tolerance for any types of assaults and sexual harassment. If you feel you have been sexually harassed, your threshold for reporting it as an offence should be low, stresses Ilkka Koskimäki, Deputy Police Chief from Helsinki Police Department.
The cases of assault and rape that have come to light during the autumn are a new phenomenon to the police, as assaults of the current scale committed in public places are clearly more aggressive than before. Unlike earlier incidents and sexual harassment occurring in public places, the suspects have exclusively been described as foreigners.
- While we have seen isolated aggressive attacks earlier, last autumn this behaviour has been recorded on such a large scale that it could be called a phenomenon. As a new feature, in many cases the perpetrators have started following the victims in public places, imposed their company on the victims against their will and engaged in aggressive and sexually nuanced behaviour, explains Police Chief Lasse Aapio from Helsinki Police Department.
Helsinki Police Department has allocated significant investigation resources to this phenomenon and engaged in preventive work, for example at reception centres. As to the incidents on Senaatintori Square, the police had effectively prepared for New Year's Eve celebrations, and highly visible supervision is believed to have had a calming effect and prevented offences.
- The police will continue to take high-profile action in order to maintain public order and safety and to prevent offences as well as to intervene in all types of antisocial behaviour, Aapio underlines.
