Tikkanen appeals life sentence for wife’s murder in Helsinki Court of Appeal

Last August, psychiatrist Roope Bob Tikkanen was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife. Tikkanen is now appealing to the Helsinki Court of Appeal, seeking to have the murder charge overturned.

The crime occurred in December 2022 at the couple’s home in Ullanlinna, Helsinki, where Tikkanen struck his wife multiple times in the head and committed other acts of violence. While he admits to causing her death, he claims it was accidental. Tikkanen argues that the charge should be changed to manslaughter and that his prison sentence should be made conditional.

In his appeal, Tikkanen alleges that his wife asked him to hit her before the fatal incident, claiming she had bit and clawed him. He asserts that he did not plan the act and is requesting a new psychiatric evaluation, despite a previous assessment last summer that deemed him legally sane at the time of the crime.

Additionally, Tikkanen is seeking a reduction in the financial compensation ordered by the Helsinki District Court, which required him to pay €30,000 each to his wife’s two children and €15,000 to her brother. He contends that these amounts should be lowered to €9,000 per child and that the claim from the brother should be dismissed entirely, citing approximately one million euros in debt and alleged misvaluation of his assets.

The prosecution has stated that Tikkanen’s appeal is baseless, arguing that he had carefully planned the crime, including purchasing items to clean up after the act. The court will decide on Tikkanen’s appeal later.