Charges to be reviewed in Helsingin Sanomat case by Helsinki Court of Appeals

Charges stemming from a police-related case involving Helsingin Sanomat are expected to be reviewed in the Court of Appeals. The prosecutor has expressed dissatisfaction with the acquittal issued last week by the Helsinki District Court. The court dismissed charges against Antero Mukka, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, and journalist Paavo Teittinen, both involved in the publication of an article that had sparked the controversy. Additionally, the police officer mentioned in the case has also voiced dissatisfaction with the court’s decision. Those expressing their discontent have a 30-day window to appeal the ruling, and such indications usually suggest that an appeal will be pursued.

The case originated from a 2021 Helsingin Sanomat article titled “In the Shadow of the Badge,” which detailed a police officer’s relationship with a young man, who was previously a subject in a sexual assault investigation involving the same officer. Mukka, Teittinen, and a referenced individual faced allegations of serious defamation and severe invasion of privacy due to the article’s content.

However, the court found that the claims of defamation did not demonstrate that the article contained false information or that the officer was demeaned. It also concluded that the article did not cross the line regarding the acceptable treatment of the subject in terms of privacy invasion. Consequently, the District Court rejected charges of both serious defamation and severe invasion of privacy. Furthermore, the then-editor-in-chief Kaius Niemi faced accusations related to editorial misconduct, but these charges were also dismissed as unfounded.