Man who attacked elderly people in Turku gets 6.5-year sentence

A man who attacked mostly elderly people in Turku has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison, Yle reports.

The Southwest Finland District Court found the man guilty of 22 offences involving aggravated assault, assault or attempted assault in early 2025. Most of the victims were women. The attacks took place over slightly more than two months, mainly on streets, in courtyards or at a cemetery.

The man either pushed or hit his victims before quickly fleeing. The oldest victim was 89. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare found that the 46-year-old was criminally responsible at the time of the offences. No clear motive was established.

He must pay his victims a total of about 115,000 euros in compensation for suffering. The ruling can be appealed.