Court of appeal increases prison sentence for 86 sexual offences against children

A 50-year-old man who sexually abused children has had his prison sentence extended by the Turku Court of Appeal, reports Finnish public broadcaster Yle. The majority of the 86 sexual offences involved a single child victim.

The appeals court increased the sentence from 10 years and seven months to 11 years in prison. The man was convicted of multiple counts of aggravated rape of a child, aggravated sexual abuse of a child, sexual abuse of a child, and sexual coercion of a child.

Seventy-four of the offences targeted one minor victim, while the remaining cases involved two other children and a few additional minors. Charges included possession of child sexual abuse material, sexual abuse of a child, and sexual coercion.

The court also raised the compensation for suffering to €55,000 for one victim, with additional compensation amounts increased for others. The defendant had argued for a reduced sentence, claiming it was excessively harsh and that he had cooperated with the investigation.

The District Court of Southwest Finland initially convicted the man last spring. Yle is withholding the man’s name to protect the victims’ identities.