The police have conducted an active criminal investigation into the disappearance of a family that has been missing from Ostrobothnia since May 2024. The investigation aims to clarify the sequence of events and the suspected crimes involved.
The parents are suspected of aggravated criminal deprivation of liberty, aggravated human trafficking and aggravated assault. One of the suspected offences is unlawful taking into care of a child, which may be reclassified as child abduction if the family is found abroad.
The police will submit a request to the Ostrobothnia District Court for the parents to be remanded in custody in absentia on Tuesday the 8th of July. If the court approves the remand, a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) can be issued based on the decision. The warrant is prepared by the prosecutor in cooperation with the police. This enables the individuals to be located and potentially apprehended also outside of Finland.
The police’s primary goal is to ensure the safety, well-being, and legal protection of the children. This is an exceptional and complex case in which the authorities have been working persistently and thoroughly for over a year.
The police will provide the next update no earlier than 8.7.
