Finnish child protection ombudsman calls for regular criminal background checks for employees working with children

A recent case in Jyväskylä, where a primary school teacher was arrested on suspicion of serious sexual offences against children, has exposed gaps in Finland’s system for vetting employees who work with minors, reports Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

Elina Pekkarinen, Finland’s child protection ombudsman, is demanding that employers be granted the right to conduct regular criminal background checks on staff throughout their employment—not just during recruitment. Currently, background checks are performed only once, and convictions eventually expire from criminal records.

“The vast majority of people who commit these types of crimes are never caught at their workplace,” Pekkarinen told Yle. “Children are very vulnerable.”

The case in question involves a 43-year-old male teacher from Jyväskylä, arrested last week on suspicion of two counts of aggravated rape of a child, two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, and two counts of coercion into a sexual act. Police have stated that the alleged crimes are not connected to his work or workplace. The city of Jyväskylä has suspended the teacher from duty.

Eino Leisimo, director of the city’s education division, confirmed that the teacher’s criminal record was checked during hiring and came back clear. He acknowledged the need for better ongoing monitoring but did not specify how it could be implemented.

Convictions disappear from records over time

Under Finnish law, employers must verify the criminal background of individuals working with children—but only at the time of hiring. Convictions are automatically removed from criminal records after 5 to 20 years, depending on the severity of the sentence. Only sentences exceeding five years in prison remain permanently, and older convictions stay visible if newer, non-expired entries exist.

Minna Kimpimäki, a professor of criminal law at the University of Lapland, explained that the criminal record system is designed primarily for the needs of the justice system. “Once courts no longer require the information for sentencing, it is removed,” she said.

Calls for a separate sex offender registry face legal hurdles

Some countries maintain dedicated registries for sex offenders, but Kimpimäki cautioned that establishing one in Finland would require careful political and legal consideration. “For example, if someone commits a single sexual offence at a very young age, a permanent registry entry could be an excessively harsh additional consequence,” she noted.

Pekkarinen agreed that a separate registry would raise significant fundamental rights concerns, given the varied nature of offences. Instead of a new system, she proposed strengthening employers’ ability to intervene in suspicious behaviour at workplaces.

She also emphasised the need for better support systems for offenders to prevent reoffending. “More help should be available for those who commit sexual crimes,” Pekkarinen said.