Man sentenced to nine months for sexual harassment in Kuopio

A man who repeatedly harassed women in Kuopio last spring has been sentenced to nine months of unconditional imprisonment. According to the North Savo District Court, the man was guilty of a total of seven counts of sexual harassment. These incidents occurred mainly during daytime hours between April and May, with two occurring on the same day. All acts targeted women the perpetrator did not know in public spaces, and he denied the charges in court.

The 54-year-old man of foreign descent approached women primarily at bus stops. He had claimed to have a wife and children but then abruptly began to touch his conversation partners on the shoulder, breasts, or buttocks. Some incidents also involved sexual remarks. For instance, he cornered a woman at a bus stop and made sexual propositions, suggesting they go to a hotel while touching her jacket near her breasts. The harassment ended once a bus arrived, allowing the woman to escape the situation.

The man had followed women around the city, which the court considered a persistent effort to engage in sexual acts. Victims had asked him to stop or rejected his advances, but these pleas were ineffective.

The man has a history of sexual offenses and committed these acts during the probation period of a previous suspended sentence. In January 2023, he had been sentenced to a suspended prison term for child sexual exploitation and multiple counts of sexual harassment. He has also received two additional sentences in the same court this year: nine months in May and one year in August. The court factored these previous rulings into his current sentence. Furthermore, he was ordered to pay a total of €4,300 in damages to four women for their suffering and temporary hardship, along with nearly €8,500 in legal fees. The ruling is not yet final.