Teenager stabbed in Turku attack testifies as defendants smirk during remote hearing

A 17-year-old boy who survived a brutal stabbing in Turku’s Mäntymäki district in February testified in court on Monday, as three young men accused of attempted murder appeared via video link from prisons across Finland, reports Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The District Court of Southwest Finland is hearing 20 separate charges related to the incident, including attempted murder, robbery, and drug offences. The victim and all three defendants were 17 years old at the time of the attack.

According to prosecutors, the victim had arranged to meet one of the defendants to discuss drug deals on 19 February near Turku’s Kunnallissairaala hospital. The group allegedly intended to rob the victim. During the confrontation, one defendant grabbed the victim in a chokehold while another pulled out a knife.

The victim was stabbed three times in the back and slashed in the face, prosecutors said, while two other defendants held him down. The attack stopped when two bystanders arrived by car—one called emergency services while the other administered first aid. A recording of the 911 call played in court described the victim bleeding “profusely.”

Victim describes “immediate” violence

The victim testified that he knew one defendant beforehand and had met another the day before at a supermarket, where two knives—one later used in the attack—were shoplifted. When the group met the next day, “violence started immediately,” he said.

“They threw me to the ground and started kicking me and stabbing me with the knife. I was lying on my side on the ground. Then bystanders arrived, and they ran away,” he told the court. “An ambulance came, and next I was in intensive care.”

Medical reports confirmed the injuries were severe and potentially life-threatening, though the victim stated he had recovered “fairly well.” He is seeking €10,000 in compensation for pain and suffering, plus €8,000 for emotional distress.

Defendants smirk and mock witness

One defendant, previously convicted of attempted murder in Rauma weeks earlier, admitted to aggravated assault but denied intent to cause serious harm. The other two defendants denied all involvement in violence.

During testimony, the defendants—participating remotely—repeatedly mocked the witness. One made crying gestures, while another flipped his middle finger. The court did not intervene despite the behaviour continuing for several minutes.

The trio also face charges for a violent robbery in Kaarinina the day before the stabbing, where a 16-year-old boy was beaten while one defendant filmed the attack.