Helsinki sex club rape allegations end without charges

Rape allegations linked to Helsinki sex club Rotko have not led to criminal charges, Yle reports. In two cases, prosecutors found insufficient evidence of rape, while a third investigation was discontinued during the preliminary investigation stage.

The allegations did not involve employees of the club. Most of the descriptions of the alleged offences and the reasoning in the decisions obtained by Yle have been redacted to protect the people involved.

One case involved a woman who had sex with three men. She suspected that one of the men had not used a condom, although condom use had been set as a condition for the group sex.

The woman told police that she considered it possible that the failure to use a condom had been accidental. According to her account, the man may not have realised the condom was missing until another man pointed it out.

After the incident, the woman visited a Seri Centre, which helps people who have experienced sexual violence. She could not identify the suspected man, and police were unable to identify him during the preliminary investigation. It was also unclear whether he had been told about the condom requirement.

The woman made no demands as the injured party. Because no evidence of an offence was obtained, the preliminary investigation was discontinued.

Yle reported in May 2025 that three rape allegations were connected to Rotko, a private sex club on Ratakatu in Helsinki. The club is open only to members and has camera surveillance. Its parties include partner swapping, group sex and sadomasochism, and members can also organise events. The parties usually attract at least dozens of people.

Sources interviewed by Yle for its 2025 report said the allegations involved erotic activity or sex in which boundaries agreed in advance had been breached. Helsingin Sanomat previously reported that the rape allegations had been dropped.