Woman charged with murdering her newborn in Lohja released as court drops aggravated charge

A 19-year-old woman accused of murdering her newborn in Lohja, southern Finland, was released from custody on Friday after the district court ruled the case would no longer be treated as aggravated murder, Yle reports.

The Länsi-Uusimaa District Court announced it would not proceed with the murder charge, though other potential charges remain under consideration. The woman’s defence lawyer, Liisa Holopainen, confirmed the decision to Yle.

“If she receives a conviction, it will be under a different criminal charge—not murder,” Holopainen said. The woman, who had been in pretrial detention since the investigation began, was released to await the verdict.

“I am truly happy and satisfied for my client that, after a long pretrial detention, she can now be with her loved ones,” Holopainen added.

The infant was born and died in a private residence in Lohja on the evening of 17 October 2025. According to prosecutors, the woman allegedly took abortion medication under false pretences, claiming her pregnancy was in its early stages when it was in fact at 30 weeks. She gave birth in a toilet, and the baby, born alive, died shortly after due to alleged neglect.

The baby’s father, who was present but unaware of the pregnancy or its termination, only learned of the situation after the birth and called emergency services. Resuscitation attempts failed.

The woman denies murder. Her defence argues she was unaware of how advanced her pregnancy was and asserts her right to terminate it. Prosecutors had requested a psychiatric evaluation, but Holopainen stated there was no need for one. The court will rule on this request on Saturday.

Special Prosecutor Laura Sairanen declined to comment on the decision to release the accused, citing the complexity of the legal proceedings. The district court is expected to deliver its final verdict on Friday afternoon.