Appeals court upholds youth worker’s child rape sentence, cuts compensation

The Vaasa Court of Appeal has upheld a four-year-and-eight-month prison sentence for a youth worker convicted of three counts of rape of a child, but reduced the compensation payable to the victim by more than half, Yle reported.

The man, Kenneth Harry Cristian Parkkonen, was 31 and working as a youth worker in the town of Jämsä when the offences took place in October 2025. The Central Finland District Court convicted him of the three offences and possessing an image depicting a child sexually.

The appeals court assessed one of the charges differently, finding evidence of one act of intercourse rather than five acts of intercourse and oral sex. It reduced the compensation for mental distress, pain, suffering and other temporary harm from about 30,000 euros, plus interest, to 13,500 euros.

The court rejected appeals by the prosecutor and the complainant seeking convictions for aggravated rape of a child. It also rejected Parkkonen’s request to have his sentence reduced.

The court issued its ruling on October 16. The decision is not final, and an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court can be made by mid-December.