A Helsinki court upheld a conviction for prolonged domestic violence where a man held his partner captive in their shared apartment for two months. The man prevented his common-law wife from leaving their home while he remained inside guarding her. A friend brought food to the couple during this period.
The Helsinki Court of Appeal maintained the original sentence for serious domestic violence occurring between 2021 and 2022. The man had raped, assaulted, and stalked his former partner while also causing her to miscarry.
In June, the district court sentenced the man to three years and six months in prison. He must also pay 8,100 euros in compensation to the victim.
The home imprisonment followed a severe pattern of abuse that court documents described as having elements of honor-based violence. The violence included sexual assault and physical attacks.
The couple met on Facebook in late 2019. The convicted man had promised to marry the victim, and they moved in together shortly after.
The first serious violent incident occurred about one month after the victim told the man she was pregnant. The man gave the victim medication for discomfort, claiming it would help her symptoms.
Soon after, the victim began bleeding so heavily she believed she would die. Court documents state the man appeared to enjoy the situation and drank alcohol during the miscarriage.
The court determined the man intentionally caused the miscarriage. The man told the court he became angry about the pregnancy because the victim had previously claimed to be a virgin.
After the miscarriage, the man took the victim's phone and prevented her from leaving their apartment for two months. The man stayed in the apartment the entire time, with friends bringing food.
In spring 2021, the victim refused the man's sexual advances. He threw her against the bed and punched her face several times. He then anally raped the victim while she struggled to breathe and tried to resist.
Following the rape, the man cut the victim's leg with a knife, causing bleeding. He used the same knife to cut off her hair. The victim lost consciousness and the man took her to the hospital.
Later, the man sent the victim a message stating: "I raped you from behind and then I will kill you with a knife in God's name. I will also cut your hair."
The victim eventually went to a shelter, but the man continued stalking her. Over several weeks, he sent over 50 messages and attempted to call at least twenty times. He followed her to stores and home, once attacking her in a store and calling her a whore.
The Helsinki District Court convicted the man, born in 1968, of rape, three assaults, deprivation of liberty, illegal threats, and stalking. The court described the man's actions as prolonged and extremely serious domestic violence with honor-based characteristics.
The man appealed to the Court of Appeal, which upheld the district court's decision. The ruling is not yet legally binding.
This case reveals how domestic violence can escalate from controlling behavior to severe physical violence over time. The systematic isolation and repeated attacks show clear patterns of coercive control that many victims face.