Oulu Police Department has released information concerning a total of nine suspected sex offences against girls aged between 10 and 15 years in Oulu. The offences were committed in the summer and autumn of 2018. All the suspects are young men of foreign background. In the majority of the cases, the victims had been contacted via social media. Currently 10 individuals are arrested or detained relation to the offences.
Although there does not appear to be any links between the aforementioned offences, the recent number of offences of this kind and their similarities are extremely alarming.
The police does not, as a rule, release information about sex offences under investigation due to reasons such as the privacy of victims. The police decided to release information about these offences, as several similar cases have come to the police’s attention within a short period of time. Educating and warning young people and parents was considered necessary in order to prevent new offences.
Summary of the information released so far:
- One of the cases involves a more extensive investigation. Eight men have been arrested for the offences. The suspected offences were committed against a single victim. The offences are being investigated as aggravated sexual abuse of a child, aggravated rape and assaults.
- The second and third cases involve two suspected sex offences committed in the district of Tuira. The offences are being investigated as aggravated rape, aggravated sexual abuse of a child and sexual abuse of a child. The suspected offences were committed against two separate victims. One individual has been arrested for the offences.
- The fourth case involves a suspected aggravated rape and aggravated sexual abuse of a child in a private residence in November. The suspected offences were committed against a single victim. One individual has been arrested for the offences.
- The fifth case involves a suspected aggravated rape and aggravated sexual abuse of a child in October.
- The latest investigation relates to a series of four suspected sex offences (cases 6–9). The offences are being investigated as rape, aggravated sexual abuse of a child and sexual abuse of a child. The suspected offences were committed against four separate victims. Three men have been detained for the offences. The police has confirmed that one of the victims involved in this case died in the autumn. The death is not being treated as suspicious. The police cannot provide more information as the cause of death has not been established. All information concerning investigations into the cause of death is confidential by law.
The role of social media in the cases
The police is urging young girls, in particular, and parents of adolescents to be vigilant on social media. Friend and follower requests from strangers must not be accepted. In a large number of the aforementioned cases, the children were first contacted via social media, followed by other interaction and correspondence. Parents must be aware of who their children spend their time with online and otherwise outside of school.
The police is urging anyone who suspects that they or someone they know has been a victim of crime to come forward. Not a single offence must be left uncovered. Children and young people are also being urged to tell an adult about any suspicious correspondence and individuals.
The level of street safety in Oulu has not been materially affected by the cases that have now come to light. Most of the suspected sex offences were preceded by other correspondence via social media, for example.
Parents:
talk to your children, find out about what they are doing and ask them about who they talk to on social media and who they spend their time with and where outside of school.
Statistics:
Cases involving rape and sexual abuse of children reported to Oulu Police Department between 2014 and 2018 pdf, 6,9 kB
