Finnish court upholds defamation conviction for calling journalist a “femakko”

A Finnish appeals court has upheld a lower court’s ruling that a man from Rovaniemi defamed journalist Ida Erämaa by calling her a “femakko” in an email, reports Yle.

The Rovaniemi Court of Appeal confirmed the district court’s decision that the term—combining “feminist” and “emakko” (Finnish for “sow,” a female pig)—was offensive and demeaning. The court ruled that it disparages women by comparing them to animals.

The 54-year-old man had sent Erämaa an email in July 2023 criticising her column in Iltalehti, which discussed the relationship between the Finns Party and the media. In the message, he referred to her as a “femakko” who needed to be “put in her place.”

The district court sentenced the man to 15 day-fines, totaling €180 based on his income, and ordered him to pay Erämaa €400 in compensation for emotional distress and over €3,100 in legal costs. The man denied sending the email, claiming someone else could have accessed his account while he was on a fishing trip.

The Court of Appeal ruled that there was no valid reason to question the district court’s verdict. The defendant may still seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court by July 13, though such requests are rarely granted.