Can women rely on the Finnish justice system? One of the most-read pieces in Helsingin Sanomat is a guest column by Finnish lawyers Adina Nivukoski and Vilma Salminen who claim that the legal system is failing girls and young women.
Published: 15/08/25 | 11:56
This year a court convicted the man who raped and murdered Salminen’s 15-year-old sister Vendi in Valkeakoski.
The authors argue that the life sentence wasn’t the result of standard legal procedures but rather the family’s costly and emotionally taxing decision to push for a murder charge instead of accepting manslaughter.
During the trial the family had to prove that Vendi was underage and faced rulings that the crime was not “particularly brutal” that is a criterion they say contradicts common sense when a child is raped and murdered in a forest.
They point out broader issues within the system. In Finland the minimum sentence for child rape or manslaughter can be as little as three to five years. Many instances of violence against women remain unaddressed because investigative methods and laws are outdated and cases can take up to five years to resolve.
Some pay more by working
Cuts to unemployment benefits have affected part-time workers with earnings-related support dropping by roughly 10 percent compared to last year according to the Federation of Unemployment Funds (YTJ).
Iltalehti spoke with people who decided to quit part-time work after policy changes made working financially disadvantageous.
Jenni explained to IL that she earned 800 euros per month washing dishes at a school but continuing the job made little sense after partial jobless benefits were removed. Another person, Juha, worked as a personal assistant earning 200–400 euros monthly and found the situation similarly discouraging.
“Since the changes it feels like you have to pay to work,” he said.
Finnish designs under threat?
Kauppalehti reports that it contacted Chinese e-commerce platform Temu about vendors selling counterfeit or imitation products resembling famous Finnish brands including Marimekko and Finlayson.
The company says it protects brands through AI-based monitoring and manual checks. However, prior responsibility for oversight lies with the brand owners.
While searches for “Marimekko” are blocked, entering “Unikko flower print” shows products with patterns disturbingly similar to the classic red-flower designs.
Temu has faced criticism in Finland after revelations that it openly offered products resembling Finlayson’s iconic elephant pattern.
