Finnish court toughens sentence for boy who set school fire

A Finnish appeals court has increased the sentence for a boy who started a fire that destroyed an unused school building in Espoo in May 2024.

The Helsinki Court of Appeal ruled in March that the boy, who was 15 at the time, should serve a three-month suspended prison sentence for gross negligent damage, according to a report by Yle. The original district court had sentenced him to 50 day-fines and over €18,000 in damages.

The fire began in a cardboard box placed next to the school building and spread to the structure, causing significant financial loss to the city of Espoo. The court found that while the act was not premeditated, the boy should have understood the risk of the fire spreading and the potential for major damage.

A second boy, also 15 at the time, was cleared of charges in both the district and appeals courts.