Court finds Lapua man guilty of murder, orders psychiatric care

South Ostrobothnia District Court has found a 39-year-old man guilty of murder in Lapua, but imposed no punishment after a psychiatric assessment found him not criminally responsible at the time, Yle reports. He was ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment.

The killing took place in a private home in Lapua in May 2025. The court found the act especially brutal and cruel, saying the man struck a defenseless victim on the head 15 times with a bladed weapon. The victim was lying in bed in their own home.

Police were alerted by a neighbour and later arrested the suspect at another apartment in Lapua.

The court had already found in an interim ruling last October that the man had committed the act. The case was postponed while his psychiatric assessment was completed.

The prosecutor had sought a life sentence for murder. The man had previously been convicted of several offences, including aggravated assault and aggravated robbery.

The victim’s sister sought 5,000 euros in compensation for the suffering caused by the killing, as well as about 4,500 euros for funeral and estate-inventory costs. The district court did not award compensation for suffering, ruling that there had been no particularly close relationship of dependence between the siblings and that the law does not entitle siblings to such compensation.