Third man charged over racist abuse of Finland’s Lucia maiden
Tuesday 11th August 2026 on 16:15 in
Finland
A third person has been charged with defaming Finland’s 2024 Lucia maiden, Daniela Owusu, Yle reports. The defendant is an 83-year-old man.
The alleged defamation took place between 15 November and 14 December 2024, largely before Owusu’s selection as Lucia maiden was made public. The charge was filed at the end of July in the Helsinki District Court.
Police identified three people during the preliminary investigation who had posted messages on TikTok and the Ylilauta online forum. Owusu received more than 100 racist comments and private messages in December 2024, while thousands of racist messages were posted about her on social media. Her relatives also received racist messages.
The case is the third prosecution related to the abuse of Owusu. No other cases remain under consideration for prosecution.
The first person charged was a 70-year-old man from Helsinki. His case will be heard at the Helsinki District Court in March 2027.
A 37-year-old man from Lahti was also charged at the Päijät-Häme District Court. His trial will take place in September. In both of those cases, prosecutors allege that the offences occurred on 16 December 2024.
Svenska Yle was the first to report the third charge.