Three convicted in Oulu human trafficking and pimping case

Oulu District Court has convicted two men of aggravated human trafficking and a woman of aggravated pandering after three Romanian women were lured to Finland under false pretenses and forced into prostitution.

The victims, aged 21 to 25, were in a vulnerable position due to low education levels and poor financial situations. Two of them spoke only Romanian. They were promised fair pay for work in Finland, but upon arrival, most of their earnings were taken by the men, who then coerced them into prostitution through threats and violence.

The crimes came to light when one of the women contacted police during a shopping trip. The men attempted to flee with two other victims toward Finland’s eastern border.

The court sentenced one man to three years in prison for two counts of aggravated human trafficking, while the second man received just over two years. The woman was given a suspended sentence for her role in procuring clients and aiding the men. The defendants had denied the charges, claiming the women had come to Finland voluntarily for sex work.

Prosecutors had also sought convictions for rape, but the court dismissed those charges due to lack of evidence. The ruling, delivered last week, is not yet final and may be appealed.