Jens Ihle seeks more than €2 million for wrongful imprisonment

Jens Ihle, formerly known as Jens Kukka, is seeking more than €2 million in compensation from Finland’s State Treasury after spending years in prison despite being found not guilty, Yle reports. If approved, the claim would reportedly be the largest compensation claim in Finland for suffering caused by deprivation of liberty.

Ihle is seeking slightly more than €2 million for suffering and about €26,000 for other costs. The application provided to Yle by the State Treasury has been redacted in the section concerning lost earnings and pension income.

Ihle and Anneli Auer, his former partner, spent years in prison over charges that a court dismissed in April. Ihle was imprisoned from September 2011 until April 2016. He then spent about four months under supervised release before being released on parole.

The Southwest Finland District Court acquitted Auer and Ihle of all sexual offence charges. The Prosecutor General did not appeal the acquittals, making the district court’s decision final.

However, the prosecution has appealed to the Court of Appeal over assault charges that the district court dismissed and that the Supreme Court had not previously overturned. The Prosecutor General has also appealed over the lawyers’ fees.

Auer has also applied for compensation, seeking a total of €1.3 million for just under four years of lost liberty.