Biträdande riksåklagare Raija Toiviainen har beslutat att väcka åtal för knivhuggningarna som begicks i Åbo 18.8.2017. Åtal har väckts mot en år 1994 född marockansk medborgare, som för närvarande är häktad såsom misstänkt på sannolika skäl för gärningarna. Åtalen gäller två mord i terroristiskt syfte samt åtta försök till mord i terroristiskt syfte.
The defendant is suspected of having acted with terrorist intent, aiming to cause serious fear among the population.
The defendant has not, at any time during the pre-trial investigation, denied being guilty of the suspected stabbings. However, according to his statement, the defendant has not had genuine recollections of all of the stabbing incidents. So far, the defendant has not clearly expressed his opinion on whether he committed the offences with terrorist intent, as alleged.
As offences made with terrorist intent are concerned, the decision to prosecute was made, unlike in the case of conventional offences, by the Deputy Prosecutor General. The Deputy Prosecutor General has ordered District Prosecutor Hannu Koistinen of the Oulu Prosecutor´s Office and Legal Counsellor Sampsa Hakala of the Office of the Prosecutor General to prosecute for the offences.
The application for summons in the matter was filed on 27 February 2018 with the District Court of Varsinais-Suomi, where the criminal matter will be processed (District Court Case No. R 18/970)
The application for summons and the public sections of the pre-trial investigation record will become public when the matter has been handled at the District Court for the first time.
In addition, with regard to one suspected offence, the Deputy Prosecutor General has made a decision not to prosecute for attempted murder committed with terrorist intent. The decision is based on there being no probable cause to suspect that an offence has been committed in this individual incident. The decision (No. 18/3) can be ordered from the Office of the Prosecutor General by sending email to vksv(at)oikeus.fi or by calling +358 (0)29 562 0810. As a charge has been brought in the same matter, the pre-trial investigation material related to the decision not to prosecute will become public only when the matter has been handled at the District Court.
For further information, please contact Deputy Prosecutor General Raija Toiviainen, tel. +358 (0)29 562 0802, email: raija.toiviainen(at)oikeus.fi.
