Prosecutor seeks nine years for death at Esperi mental health unit

Prosecutors are seeking at least nine years in prison for a 35-year-old woman accused of killing her boyfriend at an Esperi mental health unit in Turku in April, Yle reports. The trial began on Monday at the Southwest Finland District Court.

The woman, who lived at Esperi’s Ratamo Turku unit, allegedly stabbed the man repeatedly during an argument. The supervised unit houses people undergoing substance abuse and mental health rehabilitation. The victim was visiting the unit.

The woman told police that the man had beaten her with a chair for at least 15 minutes before she took out a knife to stop the blows. She said she was certain he would kill her and that the stabbing had been indiscriminate.

The man suffered at least 17 stab wounds to different parts of his body. Staff at Ratamo Turku called the emergency services after finding him bleeding in the unit’s lobby. He died despite first aid and resuscitation efforts.

Defence claims self-defence

The woman denies intentionally killing the man but admits the prosecution’s alternative charge of manslaughter committed in excessive self-defence.

The defence says the man had regularly subjected her to violence and threats before the incident, and that he had threatened to kill her the previous evening. According to the woman, he became angry at her apartment on the day of the incident and began hitting her with a chair, which broke during the assault. He then continued using a stool from the apartment.

The defence argues that the woman used the knife only to protect herself. She called the emergency services after the man left the apartment and asked for help for the man she had stabbed.

Both sides agree that the woman caused the man’s death and that he had used violence against her before the incident. The court must assess the nature of the attack she faced and whether her response exceeded the limits of self-defence.

Prosecutor Alma Valpas said the number and seriousness of the injuries, as well as the woman’s conduct, went beyond what could be considered defensive. The prosecution also cites blood traces as evidence that the knife attacks increased as the incident progressed. The defence says the same traces show that the man continued attacking her despite the first stab wounds.

Alpha-PVP and other drugs were found in the blood of both the woman and the victim. The prosecution says alpha-PVP can increase aggression and risk-taking, and argues that the findings weaken the reliability of the woman’s account.

The prosecution is seeking an order for a forensic psychiatric examination. The woman opposes the examination.