Court fines woman for severe defamation of transport inspectors and security personnel in Helsinki

A court in Varsinais-Suomi has handed a 58-year-old woman a fine for severe defamation targeting public transport inspectors and security personnel in Helsinki. The woman was sentenced to 60 daily fines and ordered to pay each of the affected parties €6,000 for the suffering caused by her actions.

This ruling pertains to a widely publicized incident that occurred at the Rautatientori metro station in July 2020, where a teenage boy was suspected of being subjected to excessive force due to his skin color.

According to court documents, the incident began when the woman’s 17-year-old son was caught traveling without a ticket. The inspector requested his personal information to issue a fine, but the boy attempted to flee. A security officer who was present stopped him, resulting in the boy being taken to the ground during the struggle. Subsequently, the boy was handcuffed, and the police were called to the scene.

Following the incident, the mother shared videos and images of the arrest on social media, alleging that the inspector and the security officer had assaulted her son and made accusations of racism and discrimination against them.

A report by HSL found that the un-ticketed boy had exhibited threatening behavior towards the inspector, and both the inspector and the security personnel acted appropriately in accordance with their training.

The court determined that the woman’s statements about the inspector and security personnel were defamatory and included false claims of violence towards her son, leading to considerable distress and public contempt towards them. The ruling is not yet final and may be appealed.