Finnish court rules that calling a conscript a “vemppa” is not offensive

A district court in western Finland has ruled that referring to a conscript soldier as a vemppa—a Finnish military slang term—does not constitute harassment or a violation of service regulations, reports national broadcaster Yle.

The Satakunta District Court addressed the term as part of a broader ruling on a case involving multiple conscripts accused of service offences, insubordination, assault, and attempted assault. The incidents occurred last year at the Pori Brigade in Säkylä, with the convicted individuals in their early twenties.

One of the charges involved the bullying of a fellow conscript, where the court examined whether calling the targeted soldier a vemppa qualified as harassment. According to the ruling, conscripts commonly use the term to refer to peers granted temporary leave, often due to illness or injury.

The Institute for the Languages of Finland defines vemppa as long-standing military slang for a soldier excused from duty, for example, because of flu or a musculoskeletal condition. The court concluded that “the use of the word vemppa for a soldier on leave cannot in itself be considered so derogatory or offensive that it would violate general service regulations.”

However, the court found other elements of the conscript’s treatment met the criteria for bullying. The accused received fines for their actions.