Three teens charged with attempted murder in Turku stabbing linked to drug trade

The prosecutor in southwest Finland is seeking multi-year prison sentences for three 17-year-olds accused of stabbing a teenage boy in Turku, in a case tied to illegal drug sales, Yle reports. The trial began Monday in the District Court of Southwest Finland.

The incident occurred in February in Turku’s Mäntymäki district, where the three suspects allegedly stabbed a 17-year-old victim on Kunnallissairaalantie street. The attack followed a dispute over drug transactions, with the suspects reportedly seizing Xanax tablets (ksalol) from the victim during the assault.

Prosecutors have demanded a sentence of four years and six months for the primary suspect, three years and nine months for the second, and four years for the third. One of the accused was previously convicted in February by Satakunta District Court for a separate attempted murder in Rauma last August, where he stabbed another individual.

Additional robbery charges

The same trio faces further charges, including attempted aggravated robbery in Turku’s Skanssi district and robbery in Kaarina the day before the Mäntymäki stabbing. In Skanssi, their attempt to rob a youth of drugs failed, while in Kaarina, two of the suspects successfully stole an e-cigarette, a jacket, and a hoodie from a victim—an act they recorded on video.

All three deny the attempted murder charge. Two admit to aggravated assault, while the third denies involvement entirely. In the Kaarina robbery, two suspects admit to theft and assault but deny filming the crime. For the Skanssi incident, two fully deny the charges, and the third claims it was an attempted theft, not robbery.

Broader criminal allegations

Beyond the violent offenses, the teens face charges including petty theft, possession of dangerous objects, and drug crimes. The victims of the robberies are also accused of drug-related offenses.