3 teens get 10 years for murdering their friend (Koskela, Finland)

Ten of Swords

The 3 teens on trial for the Koskela murder were sentenced to 10, 9 and 8 years respectively for beating their friend to death last December. They, and the victim, were all 16 years old at the time.

This is such a horrible case on so many levels. They knew the victim since they were little kids but bullied and tormented him because he was quiet and didn't have many friends. They had been violent to him before and they had attacked him several times over the summer before the murder, but he kept going back to hang out with them because he wanted their acceptance.

On Friday December 4th they were drinking on the grounds of the Koskela hospital in Helsinki celebrating one of the boys birthday and, after forcing the victim to drink a bottle of vodka, spent several hours beating him, hitting him with a metal bar and choking him. When a passerby saw them and asked what was going on they told her to go away then they dragged him to another part of the hospital grounds and continued beating him and filming it on their phones, by this time he was so drunk from the vodka he could no longer put his arms up to defend himself.

They left him at 11pm that night and didn't get any help for him, he died a few hours later. Over the weekend 2 of them went back and found him dead. They went home and researched evidence disposal online.

His body was discovered by construction workers on the Monday and when an investigation was launched one of the boys confessed to his mother, who called the police.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58432526

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/teens_handed_8-to-10-year_jail_terms_over_brutal_koskela_killing/12085039

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/police_release_investigation_material_on_koskela_teens_death/11804051

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koskela_teen_murder

osarusan

Some people really are just sick f**king psychos.

Polar101

The prosecutor wanted harsher sentences - the maximum minors can get for murder is 12 years. This will go to high court most likely.

They'll only serve a third of the sentence before getting out on parole anyway.

The main upset of the story has been that they were all "just local kids".

Immortal Starlight

I just read about this horrible murder on the RTÉ website. It has made me feel so sick to my stomach that young boys are capable of this disgusting crime. My son is 16 too and I can’t imagine what that poor child endured before his terrible death. While reading this all I could think was that they should never again see the light of day and then I read on and see that they have the chance to go back to court and ask for lighter sentences when the most they’ve been sentenced is 10 years. That really beggars belief after what they did. May the poor child Rest In Peace.

Horrible crime, really heartless little gurriers.

There was a murder in Finland in the 1960s, at Lake Bodom, people still talk about it there today, two 15 year old girls and one 18 year old guy stabbed and beaten to death.

this has probably brought back memories of that for people.

Pawwed Rig

Reminds me of the Anna Kriegel case as someone just trying to fit in and made to suffer from it. There really are some horrible people in the world

Heraclius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117843274#Comment_117843274

Yes, it reminds me of that too. The perpetrators seem mainly concerned with avoiding responsibility too. What a horrible, lonely death the poor victim had.

Heraclius

I wonder how the witness that did nothing feels about their actions now?

Jequ0n

So they were actually convicted of murder? Sounds more like manslaughter to me given the obvious lack of planning that went into it

Gatling

The sad thing these cases are becoming common ,

Ten of Swords

Yes, manslaughter. Quoted from the middle link in the op,

"The boys were convicted of charges including manslaughter committed by a minor, as well as other crimes including assault and robbery committed by a minor.

Since the defendants were minors at the time of the crime, the penalties were less severe than if they had been adults. The court said its sentencing was also influenced by the extent to which each of the defendants had taken part in the violence.

According to the court, the defendants must have known that it was likely the victim would die as a result of their actions.

The defendants are jointly obliged to pay the victim's parents 12,000 euro, each, for pain and suffering."

The robbery and additional assault charges related to incidents they had victimized him earlier in the year.

Texts on their phones showed they planned in advance to get him drunk and to assault him.

Investigators also found texts on their phones where they expressed remorse and shifted blame towards the older boy but the police believe they texted each other knowing these messages would be found.

tayto lover

Very like the case in Dunleer where the dead boy was left to die after everyone went home.

Little bastards. 😡☹

I thought of poor Ana too, and a number of other cases where the victim had a learning difficulty and/or was very timid, but kept taking the abuse rather than have nobody to hang around with. 😢

Gemma Hayter, Lee Irving and Suzanne Capper in England, and John Melbourne Jnr in Arkansas.

In Britain the term "mate crime" has been coined for this kinda horror.

Jequ0n

I’ll never understand why people chose to hang out with people who pick on them. I understand why you’d bully someone but not why you’d still want to spend time with them.

This is not meant as victim blaming, I just really struggle to understand it.

Because as said, they'd prefer that to being alone.

Jequ0n

makes no sense to me.

but it doesn’t matter anyway now as the boy is dead. I was just curious

phonypony

I know it's not a popular opinion, but when I see cases like this and that of poor Ana and the ridiculous sentences handed down to such individuals who torture and murder, I wish of a world where the punishment matches the crime. Get rid of them. Or have them live in such fear on a daily basis that they get rid of themselves.

The world would be a far better place without little scumbags like this. What's the alternative? A total drain on society for the rest of their days? Serving paltry sentences and re-offending like one of the little scumbags who killed Jamie Bulger?

Polar101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117843418#Comment_117843418

No, they were convicted of murder (but as minors).

The original court decision is here (in Finnish, but I ran the first two paragraphs through Google translate)

https://oikeus.fi/karajaoikeudet/helsinginkarajaoikeus/fi/index/tiedotteet/2021/tiedotehelsinginkarajaoikeustuomitsivastaajatvankeusrangaistuksiinkoskelanmurhaakoskevassaasiassa.html

"Press release: Helsinki District Court sentenced defendants to prison terms in Koskela murder case

The Helsinki District Court has sentenced three 16-year-old boys to 4 years of imprisonment for murder as a young person on 4 and 5 December 2020 and for various other crimes against the same plaintiff committed between 14 August and 20 November 2020.

The district court sentenced the most violent defendant to ten years of one-month and the other defendant to nine years of two-month prison sentences. The convict of the least violent defendant was sentenced to eight years and two months in prison."

---

Prison sentences in Finland are generally not very long - you can get "life", but it's common that the president grants armistice after 12 years, and it's highly unusual for anyone to serve over 20 years. As per the current conviction, these kids will be out of prison in 4 years (but that might still change in higher courts if it's appealed).

The law and legal system is very different in Finland then it is here in Ireland.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117843401#Comment_117843401

Are they?

I already referenced a murder in Finland in 1960, where a number of friends were murdered. Even though no-one has been found guilty, it is widely accepted it was their friend that did it.

these things always happened. Thankfully,they are fairly rare

Gatling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117843940#Comment_117843940

Been a few cases in Europe ,a couple in the UK and lots of cases in the US (no surprises there )

Jequ0n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117843940#Comment_117843940

Couldn’t agree more. Whenever something happens people jump on the “this didn’t happen in my day” bandwagon.

of course it happened, it always did. But now we are reporting on it and it makes people uneasy because they wonder if their families are in danger.

BobHopeless

Very rare these type of horrible cases fortunately.

Strumms

It says something that the value placed on life, the life of a young innocent kid that the perpetrators don’t even get convicted of murder firstly, given the prolonged, unprovoked and deliberate nature of the attack, it should have been murder..it was murder... secondly, before their thirtieth birthdays they will have the ability to be free and live a normality laden, happy life...

why is it in 2021, not only in Ireland it seems from this but more often then not here, the needs, health, wellbeing of criminals is placed before the needs wellbeing of society and the victims of violent crime. The fûck is wrong with the world...

the the idea and ideals of ‘justice ‘ are lacking, everywhere it seems.

Gatling

@Strumms why is it in 2021, not only in Ireland it seems from this but more often then not here, the needs, health, wellbeing of criminals is placed before the needs wellbeing of society and the victims of violent crime. The fûck is wrong with the world.

For whatever reason our system see's the preparators as joint victims who need just as much care and attention actually they get more care and attention than the families of the actual victim's ,

And we have allowed a system to operate where judges are incapable of giving out harse sentences for violent crimes and repeat offenders

Should have got 30 years each

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117844079#Comment_117844079

Firstly, not only do you not understand the law in Ireland, it's obvious you do not know the law or legislation or justice system in Finland. Which is fair enough, and understandable, it's not like Ireland.

There is no point saying 'it should have been murder ' because you think that in your head.

It's typical of posters on boards. Calling for sentences or capital punishment when they don't understand the first thing about the law.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117844204#Comment_117844204

I don’t have to know about the law. I do however know about justice which is what the law is supposed to enable.. This clearly isn’t it... a person gets set upon without cause or provocation, a prolonged physical attack, by multiple people they kill him...that’s murder.. murder is defined as an unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse....it’s the injustice system that chooses to ignore or twist this for their own aims.

Evidence is needed that it happened just as much in th'olden days if stating that as a fact.

Times do change. Social and cultural factors shape us. In the last 25 years it has of course been communications technology.

Yeah there has always been violence - it was more violent in certain contexts - but among children? That I don't know.

So what if people say they should have got harsher sentences. It's an understandable reaction. I'm more bothered by that poor poor lad being tortured to death.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117844569#Comment_117844569

The law everywhere though simply needs to be a deterrent...

if here, just here as an example there were zero custodial sentences for say.. theft of a motor vehicle.... cars would be nicked in their hundreds every month...or hundreds more then are being nicked at present.

same for any crime, murder, etc....

o1s1n

Anyone else think the RTE headline is a little bit understated?

Surely it should have said 'beating' to death?

https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2021/0903/1244591-finland-bullying-death/

I usually hate when blame is deflected, and nobody but those little shitss are to blame... but in this case and others like it (e.g. Ana) where were the community members, who care now, when the poor child was being tormented?

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117844118#Comment_117844118

Gas the way European politicians attack the United States justice system, for example, for being too harsh. Yet when you see sentences like this it shows how too lenient Europe is in all sorts of ways.

Across the EU/UK there is no real justice for victims. That is down to this kind of pseudo intellectual left wing ideology that pervades the continent that sees in many ways the real victims are the perpetrators.

It's a sick joke for victims when you think about it. These lads should never walk the streets again yet, like so many others, they will.

LeBash

Whats the story with the poor lads parent/s? It's been ongoing, so he obviously came home with some form of marks over time.

Yeah it seems like he was a very vulnerable, disenfranchised young fella. Poor boy - heartbreaking. 😪

RobbieTheRobber

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117844825#Comment_117844825

So your hot take on this that the USA which has more homicides per 100k of population than any eu country but it is the the USA has it right and the EU wrong?

I mean surely you want to have less murders ergo if their murder rate is higher their not doing a better job of it are they.

Strumms

The extreme or looney elements of left and their attitude to crime is along the lines of... “if X person commits a crime, we need to find a reason as to why they did it and apportion blame to them “

to that lot personal responsibility is about as fashionable as herpes.

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117844827#Comment_117844827

Kids in these situations often will not tell their parents or even give a hint that anything is wrong. That is how bullying can last for years and paedophiles can keep going.

Even if the parents are aware of bullying what can they really do about it? Not all schools will help and moving to a different school or area may not solve the problem either if the kid has the type of personality that in inclined to be bullied

Ten of Swords

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117844827#Comment_117844827

The victim was in the care of the state at the time. This report (in Finnish, translated) stated that he was placed in state care by his parents a number of weeks before his death. I've pasted the translation verbatim but the word "orphanage" is not an accurate reflection of the situation, it's a state child protective services facility.

YLE's (Finnish media outlet) report [Translated] "The boy disappeared on Friday, but was not searched for the entire weekend At the time of the murder, the victim was placed in an orphanage. According to Yle's information, the placement was made last autumn at the request of the parents. Parents typically ask for a placement for their child when their own resources or means to resolve the child’s predicament are exhausted. Parents have wanted to emphasize the clientele of child protection in public immediately after the events of December. So far, they have reported the matter through the police. In the orphanage, the actual situation of the victim remained unidentified. During the placement, the victim was beaten three times, among other things. The same people suspected of murder are charged with the acts. The victim was not searched on the initiative of the orphanage throughout the weekend after he failed to return on Friday night, Yle is told about the close circle."

"He was considered a conscientious boy who always arrived for appointments on time. He was scheduled to go to his other parent on Saturday morning. The parent asked authorities to look for the boy several times over the weekend."

Source

https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11778420

This Finnish article, in english, said that the child care facility staff logged the boys absence with the Police but this was recorded as a 'Search Warrant' not a 'Missing Person' incident, which have different meanings under Finnish law.

"According to police, child services made an official request for help the day after the 16-year-old victim failed to return to his placement accommodation. The request for assistance was recorded in the police records as a search warrant.

However, this is not the same thing as a missing persons notice as police do not actively search for a child who has gone missing from child protection services."

Source

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/police_teenage_murder_suspects_filmed_defenceless_victim/11716924

Another Finnish article, in english, said this about the victim being missing over the weekend

"While the perpetrators are always responsible for their crimes, the question of the absence of authorities and other adults is also relevant in cases where the victim and perpetrators are minors.

The victim had spent his last weeks living in a children’s home. When he failed to return to the accommodation on 4 December, there was no investigation into his whereabouts, despite the fact that the boy was considered to be conscientious and attentive.

His parents requested a search as soon as the boy did not arrive at a scheduled meeting the next morning, Saturday 5 December, but no search for him was carried out over the course of that weekend."

Source

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/yle_investigation_authorities_school_failed_koskela_victim/11787165

Immortal Starlight

Absolutely heartbreaking. So very sad poor child. They should never again see the light of day.

Jequ0n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117844536#Comment_117844536

And this is exactly the reason why you need laws and the jurisdiction system.

Everyone always complains that sentences aren’t harsh enough, and that they know better.

You can’t allow emotions to dictate the sentence as that would be very subjective.

fits

Hadn’t hear of this case before clicking on this thread. Sounds like the poor boy was very alone in the world. Poor chap.

Doublebusy

So the victims parents put him into a home in the weeks leading up to his death - whilst all along hes getting bullied. He probably felt very alone and that no one supported him. I wonder what the victim would think about his parents getting a sh1t load of money as compensation from the 3 so called friends.

Hangdogroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117843428#Comment_117843428

This case from Laois as well. That scumbag has been free for some years.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/i-can-relax-now-and-not-be-nervous-that-i-would-see-him-mum-after-sons-killer-banned-from-town-35711934.html

washman3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117846125#Comment_117846125

Total scum of the Earth that guy. He should be rotting in prison rather than walking the streets.

Never showed an ounce of remorse.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117843288#Comment_117843288

I tihink that is a bit harsh. There were interested enough to go an see what was happening, the victim did not or was unable to speak up at that point. If you ring the polce and say there are teenagers drinking and horsing about, would they bother to come out and if they did come out and the gang had moved would they have bothered to go looking for them?

Heraclius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117846271#Comment_117846271

It might have been a bit harsh of me. It would really depend on how bad the situation looked at the moment they were there.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117846389#Comment_117846389

While I wouldn't use such a word, I do find the type of post you wrote (having a go at certain posters in relation to a different topic) to be strange and in quite poor taste.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117846271#Comment_117846271

Only the twisted killers are to blame - she isn't - but better to contact the police than not contact them in case they don't do anything.

I don't understand telling her sister rather than the police. But crimes of that nature might be so unusual in Finland that there's perhaps a different mindset around them.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117846982#Comment_117846982

That sort of crime is unusual everywhere. Crowd of teenagers acting the maggot, maybe someone does get a rap and has to go to A&E, but murder does not usually result.