A Finnish court has rejected the parole application of Touko Tarki, who murdered his 8-year-old daughter Vilja Eerika. The Helsinki Court of Appeal denied Tarki's request for early release in a recent decision.
Tarki applied for parole in April. He described his daughter's murder as a "unique crime" and called his relationship with accomplice Sirpa Laamanen "special."
His legal assistant wrote in the application that Tarki had an "unusual relationship" with the woman convicted as his accomplice. The assistant claimed Tarki has no connections to criminal circles.
Tarki murdered his daughter on Mother's Day in May 2012 together with his then-girlfriend Laamanen. Police arrested him immediately after the crime.
He has now spent approximately 13.5 years in prison.
The court acknowledged several factors supporting Tarki's release. He participated actively in prison programs and maintained good behavior. He remained drug-free and successfully completed temporary releases. He also spent over three years in open prison conditions without incidents.
Tarki committed no new crimes after his daughter's murder. He told the court he maintains regular contact with family and friends outside prison.
Despite these positive factors, the court ruled against parole. The brutal nature of the murder required a longer prison term than average. Most life sentences in Finland last about 14 years and 10 months.
The court noted Tarki's other crimes also weighed against early release. A violence risk assessment neither supported nor opposed his release.
Authorities found no obvious danger that Tarki would commit serious violent crimes if released. Still, the court denied parole.
Tarki can apply for release again in April 2026.
Vilja Eerika died horribly on that Mother's Day in 2012. Tarki and Laamanen wrapped the girl in rugs, carpets, and a sheet. She slowly suffocated overnight. An autopsy revealed nearly one hundred signs of external violence on her body.
Both received life sentences for murder and other crimes against Vilja Eerika in March 2013.
The trial revealed Tarki and Laamanen had abused the girl for a long time. They insulted her, force-fed her, mistreated her, and humiliated her in her own home.
Courts also convicted Tarki of assault and deprivation of liberty. A psychiatric evaluation found him legally sane during the crimes.
Now 61-year-old Sirpa Laamanen has not applied for parole according to available information. She has also changed her name.
The case highlights Finland's careful approach to parole for violent offenders, even when prisoners demonstrate rehabilitation. The court balanced Tarki's good prison record against the extreme brutality of killing a child.