Prosecutor seeks prison sentence for man charged with attempted murders in Turku

A prosecutor is demanding an unconditional prison sentence for a man charged with two attempted murders after he stabbed two individuals in the Perniön district of Turku in May. The accused has stated during police investigations that he intended to kill as many people as possible. According to the prosecutor’s application, the defendant armed himself with three bladed weapons, self-medicated to carry out his plan, and went to a service center parking lot in early May.

The accused approached his first victim from behind and stabbed him twice. Following this, he stabbed a second victim, who was standing next to the first, three times in the neck. The accused has confessed to the acts during pre-trial investigation but denies any premeditation and refutes the charges of attempted murder. He claims that the criteria for attempted manslaughter are met, arguing instead that he is guilty of aggravated assault.

After the stabbings, he also inflicted a stab wound on his own abdomen. The prosecutor argues that the defendant committed two attempted murders because the actions were planned with the intent to cause the victims’ deaths. Furthermore, the prosecutor emphasizes that the location of the incident—a busy service center parking lot—should be considered, as the victims were chosen at random, resulting in a shocking act. One victim was also stabbed in the neck, which reinforces the severity of the crime.

The prosecutor has called for a sentence of more than two years for the two attempted murders. The District Court of Varsinais-Suomi began hearings on the case on Tuesday.