Former youth home instructor jailed for abusing 17-year-old resident

Oulu District Court has sentenced a former youth home instructor to two years in prison for sexually abusing a 17-year-old resident, Yle reported.

The court found that the man had exploited his position as an instructor to make the young person, who had been placed in the youth home, engage in sexual intercourse with him. Other sexual acts also took place.

The incident occurred in December 2023. The man had picked up the young person after they had left the youth home without permission and taken them to his home, where the acts occurred.

The man was more than 30 years older than the young person, whose mental health had been poor at the time.

He denied the charges and said the young person had participated voluntarily. He also argued that the sexual acts had taken place after he had resigned from his job at the youth home.

The court ruled that his resignation had not taken effect in a way that meant he could no longer be considered an instructor at the time of the offence. It said he had been aware of the young person’s problems.

The employer had tried to separate the man from the young person, but he continued contacting them outside the youth home and during his free time.

The person’s identity, court documents and much of the judgment have been kept secret. No members of the public attended the oral hearing.

Kaleva was the first to report the case.