Sex offences - Police
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Sex offences
In 2020, more than 4,400 sex offences were reported to the police.
Sex offences include sexual harassment, sexual abuse, coercion into a sexual act, rape and sexual abuse of a child. Offences related to sexual morality are punishable.
A part of sex offences are unreported
Only a part of sex offences come into the police’s attention. Fear or shame can prevent reporting an offence. In addition, victims do not always realise that they have been victims of crime. Young people are contacted with sexual undertones so often on social media that it is considered normal and the contacts are seen as part of everyday life.
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment became punishable in Finland in 2014. According to the law, sexual harassment means the act of touching a person in a way that violates their sexual self-determination.
In practice, sexual harassment is unwanted touching of the body, such as patting the buttocks, grabbing breasts, stroking or other groping. Harassment can occur anywhere, and the perpetrator can be a person the victim knows, or a stranger.
If you have been harassed sexually:
- Memorise the perpetrator’s description, if the harassment occurred in town, for example.
- Report the offence as soon as possible.
- If the incident causes anxiety, get help. Everyone reacts to harassment in an individual way.
- Remember that the perpetrator is responsible for the harassment. It is not your fault.
Rape
Both parties must consent to sex. According to the law, rape means forcing another person to have sex by using violence or threatening to do so.
In addition, having sex with a passed out, sick, disabled or otherwise helpless person is considered rape. It is impossible to obtain the consent of an unconscious person.
The rape is aggravated if it causes serious injuries, there are several perpetrators, mental and physical suffering is considerable, the victim is under 18 years of age, the act is especially cruel or it involves threatening with serious violence or, for example, an edged weapon.
Attempted rape is also punishable.
Sexual offences against children and adolescents
A sexual act targeted at a child under 16 years of age, damaging the child’s development, is sexual abuse of a child. Sexual abuse of a child is judged also if a person has sex with a child under the age of 16.
The most severe form is aggravated sexual abuse of a child. It is a very damaging crime against a child, in which the perpetrator may have been, for example, in a trusted position for the child, or the crime is committed in a particularly humiliating way.
Molesters lurk online
Nowadays, sex offences towards children very often take place on the internet or through it. Sexual abuse of children online is a global problem and its victims include both girls and boys.
On the internet, sex offences against children can be, for example, sending and requesting messages, photographs or videos of a sexual nature or abuse through a webcam. A part of the crimes that started online lead to a physical meeting and intercourse.
The adult is always responsible
Even if the child takes the initiative in messaging, the adult is always responsible. In sex offences against children, also the child’s parents are injured parties.
If the parties are close in age, it is not necessarily a sex offence. A conversation with sexual tones between two 15-year-olds can be normal and may not contain any abuse. Young people send each other nude photos. Possession of a sexually offensive picture depicting a child is a crime. In this, the young people themselves are guilty of an offence by keeping photos in their possession. This also has to do with “revenge porn” when the photos of an ex-partner are distributed.
Seksuaalirikokset -oikean palstan sisältö -en
Always notify the police if you suspect a crime
Sex offences against children are damaging and sensitive crimes. Because of the sensitivity of the matter, the offences are not always reported to the police. A single, seemingly petty act may lead the police to a larger serial case. Perpetrators often have many victims. This is why it is important to notify the police, regardless of the severity of the incident. Early notifications can prevent several acts and stop cases that are already going on.
What if you run into a sexual offence as a bystander? Contact the local police and tell them what you know about the incident.
Authorities have a duty to notify
Many entities have the obligation to notify the police about observed sex crimes against children. This also applies to sex offences perpetrated online. In addition to different authorities, these entities include the school system, youth programmes, children’s day-care, parishes and the organisers of morning and afternoon activities for school children.
Seksuaalirikokset-haitari
Remember that the rape was not your fault. When you report the rape to the police, they can catch the perpetrator and prevent new rape cases.
It is natural to be in shock after being raped. Do not blame yourself if you can’t act rationally right away or you don’t remember everything. In an urgent situation, the police arriving will make your situation easier. They will see to it that the necessary things are done.
- When the situation is urgent or the rape has just occurred, call the emergency number 112 right away.
- Do not shower or change clothes. Stains, hair, or fibres from the offender can be important evidence.
- Try to memorise a description of the offender and the crime scene.
- If the rape was committed in a car, memorise the car’s description and registration number.
- If the rape was committed in an apartment or other space, memorise the place so that you can point it out later
- If you need to see a doctor before you contact the police, explain that you have been raped and ask the doctor to obtain the necessary samples. The police will also direct the victim to be checked by a medical examiner to gather the necessary evidence.
- Report the offence as soon as possible. If the police have investigated the matter at the crime scene, the patrol usually reports the offence at that stage.
- Do not be alone. Rape is a serious and shocking crime. You can get help from, for example, Victim Support Finland.
Sex offences can be punished with a fine or imprisonment:
- fine or imprisonment for a minimum of six months for sexual harassment
- imprisonment for a minimum of one year and a maximum of six years for rape
- imprisonment for a minimum of two years and a maximum of ten years for aggravated rape, 2 to 10 years
For sexual offences against children:
- imprisonment for a minimum of 4 months and a maximum of six years for sexual abuse of a child
- imprisonment for a minimum of one year and a maximum of ten years for aggravated sexual abuse of a child
- imprisonment for a minimum of four years and a maximum of twelve years for aggravated rape of a child
- fine or imprisonment for a maximum of two years for purchasing sexual services from a young person
- fine or imprisonment for a maximum of one year for the solicitation of a child for sexual purposes.
Grooming means sexual abuse of a child that starts online and its preparation. In legislation, this is called solicitation of a child for sexual purposes. In grooming, the perpetrator contacts the child online and suggests a meeting or other contact. The messages already show that the purpose of the meeting is a sex offence against the child or, for example, filming the child with a sexual intent.
The messaging may continue for a longer time before any actual acts. The perpetrator may start by building the child’s trust with very everyday things. Even if a child goes along with this, the adult is always responsible.
Children and adolescents may be offered money, intoxicating substances, or other property in exchange for sex and favours related to it. On the internet, the child may be requested to send nude photos, for example, by promising a reward. The child may also get blackmailed to perform sexual acts by threatening to post the nude photos. These are also punishable acts in the law.
Always notify the police if you suspect a crime
Sex offences against children are damaging and sensitive crimes. Because of the sensitivity of the matter, the offences are not always reported to the police. A single, seemingly petty act may lead the police to a larger serial case. Perpetrators often have many victims. This is why it is important to notify the police, regardless of the severity of the incident. Early notifications can prevent several acts and stop cases that are already going on.
What if you run into a sexual offence as a bystander? Contact the local police and tell them what you know about the incident. How to prevent sexual offences on the internet?
- Do not join WhatsApp groups that are not related to hobbies or a defined small group of people you know
- Do not accept strangers as friends in applications if a stranger sends you a message in an application and tries to approach you in a suspicious way, block them and tell your parents about the message.
- Pay attention to protecting your accounts and privacy. Keep your profile private.
- If an adult sends you messages with sexual content, please tell your parents or another adult you trust, even if this may feel awkward or embarrassing.
- Remember that everything is not what it seems on the internet. A nice kid you chat with may actually be an adult in real life.
- Never give anyone your contact information. If you agree to see someone you have met online, always tell your parents and bring someone with you.
- Never meet anyone in their home, car, in a hotel or anywhere except in public places. Do not give in if the other person threatens or blackmails you.
- All conversations and contact information should be stored.
- Pay attention to what applications your children download to their phones. Note the age limits of applications and that there is solicitation in applications intended for minors, such as Momio.
- Use remote positioning of mobile phones so that you know where the child is physically and what applications they use.
- Pay attention to boys’ gaming world. Solicitors often play with children and bribe them with different items, turning the conversation into a sexual direction after that.
- Tell the child to not accept strangers as friends in applications.
- Familiarise yourself with the different applications and services used by the child. Pay attention to the protection of accounts, closed accounts, and privacy. This is important to identify and anticipate the dangers of different applications.
- Children rarely tell their parents or the authorities if they encounter online abuse. Young people usually feel ashamed of what happened and think that it is partly their fault.
- Gain a sufficient level of trust from your child, so that he or she will have the courage to tell you if they encounter online abuse.
- To start a conversation, the adult should ask actively about the child’s online activities. The child can be asked to show what they do online and where, also in places that are not suspicious at all. Be encouraging and supportive.
- If you find out that something bad has happened, it is important that you do not blame the child. The child is not responsible for what happened.
- You should contact the police about every individual case.
- All material related to the matter must be stored.