Finnish man found not guilty by reason of insanity after killing his mother despite restraining order

A 50-year-old man from Hämeenlinna has been ruled not guilty by reason of insanity after fatally stabbing his mother in April 2025, despite having an active restraining order against him, Kanta-Häme District Court announced on Tuesday.

The attack took place in a residential apartment on Rauhankatu in Hämeenlinna. According to court documents, the man stabbed his mother 51 times in the upper body, arms, and head with a sharp object. He had been in custody since his arrest last year.

The court had issued an interim ruling last autumn, determining that the man’s actions led to his mother’s death, but deferred a final decision pending a psychiatric evaluation. Prosecutors had sought a life sentence.

While the defendant admitted to the killing, he denied the charge of murder. The court ultimately ruled that he was not criminally responsible due to his mental state at the time of the offence.

Cases of matricide are rare in Finland. According to the Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy, only 19 mothers were killed by their children between 2013 and 2023.