Expert says sexual offences involve violence and abuse of power

Sexual offences involve violence and the exercise of power, regardless of a complainant’s appearance or desirability, lawyer Minna Pilviö said, according to Yle. She described comments about a complainant’s appearance in court as wholly inappropriate.

The remarks came during the trial of mixed martial artist Makwan Amirkhani, who is accused of coercing musician Mira Luoti into a sexual act. The proceedings have been held in open court, which Yle described as unusual.

Amirkhani’s lawyer, Kari Uoti, said during his opening presentation on Monday that Luoti was nearly 40 at the time of the alleged offence and, in Amirkhani’s view, was therefore not “desirable”. Pilviö called the argument exceptional.

Pilviö said she hoped the publicity surrounding the case would not deter anyone who has experienced a sexual offence from reporting it. She said courts can distinguish relevant issues from irrelevant ones, and that blaming complainants is not the norm.

Yle crime and legal affairs reporter Tuomas Rimpiläinen said it was more common in earlier years for sexual offence complainants to be blamed for their clothing, based on the idea that provocative dress could lead to an offence. Pilviö said she still often hears arguments suggesting a complainant cannot be a victim because, for example, they did not report the offence within a particular timeframe.