Crime and lack of punishment
Punishment handed out by the Finnish courts often makes me laugh. We sometimes hear about the six-figure speeding fines wealthy Finns receive that make international headlines - Then there’s the other extreme…Conservative MP Kimmo Sasi drove his car into oncoming traffic during his hectic election campaign killing the other driver, the sentence…
Conservative Member of Parliament Kimmo Sasi has been convicted by a court of traffic endangerment and involuntary manslaughter stemming from a road accident at Ylöjärvi last March. Sasi has been order to pay fines totally 6,160 euros and to reimburse the State around 1,200 euros in evidence and autopsy costs.
I guess the victim’s family gets nothing? And here’s a Finnish Big Brother contestant who was kicked off the show and convicted of sexual abuse…
Mika, 27, a contestant from Helsinki in last autumn’s Big Brother reality-TV show, was fined for sexually abusing a sleeping fellow contestant on Tuesday. The Espoo District Court ordered him to pay 75 day-fines, which amounted to a total of EUR 675.
The judgement resulted from a situation where Mika was seen to take off Sorella’s trousers after she had fallen asleep next to him. He then pulled a blanket over himself and Sorella. The incident was shown on television at the time and was repeated from a DVD in the courtroom. The nocturnal incident was preceded by an evening get-together where they both drank alcohol. They moved to the bed together and caressed each other under the blanket.
675 euros for sexual abuse!? Yes, woman’s rights are strong here in Finland! LOL!! Well, what’s worse - a slap on the wrist for serious crimes, or putting retarded people in the electric chair in the United States?? I’d rather get a slap on the wrist for nearly raping a woman.
Mika lost 75 days of his income. When Jaakko Rytsölä had a speeding ticket of 170000 euro, that was only 6 days of his income. In Kimmo Sasi’s case the widow demanded no compensation, and she agreed the fine for Kimmo was fair.
Don’t see the injustice in any of these cases.
Comment by Bemmu — Sun, Oct 28th, 2007 @ 11:17 pm
Speeding tickets for wealthy Finns? What about normal income Finns (me) whose privacy is violated?
About Mika, I don’t think he should have been punished. Honestly, it was rediculous that it even went into a court. Laughable. But I understand your point about this.
Comment by Anonymous — Sun, Oct 28th, 2007 @ 11:44 pm
I’m assuming Mika is unemployed and receives unemployment. So unemployment in Finland is 675 euros every 75 days? Ouch, that’s rough!
Comment by Phil — Sun, Oct 28th, 2007 @ 11:50 pm
You actually missed the point here. Sasi got only 70 day-fines for manslaughter. This BB guy got 75! But because it looks like he doesn’t got any (or much) income, he’s paying only 675 euros.
Comment by möö — Mon, Oct 29th, 2007 @ 1:43 am
“So unemployment in Finland is 675 euros every 75 days?”
Wrong a Dayfine is only a part of what you earn daily. It’s not like the legal system takes ALL your money for 75 days.
Comment by Firepower — Mon, Oct 29th, 2007 @ 10:03 am
Wrong a Dayfine is only a part of what you earn daily. It’s not like the legal system takes ALL your money for 75 days.
Ahh, I thought they took all. What percentage of your daily salary to they take?
Comment by Phil — Mon, Oct 29th, 2007 @ 11:39 am
Is Finland’s system legal? I’ve been reading Sirkuspelle’s site. He makes some good points that make me wonder about its legitimacy.
http://www.verosirkus.net
Comment by Anonymous — Mon, Oct 29th, 2007 @ 3:02 pm
@ #4 Sasi didn’t get fines for manslaughter but _involuntary_ manslaughter. There is a huge difference.
Let’s say you drive in a car and you get some sudden medical condition and end up losing the control of your car and end up in an accident where someone gets killed. No one can hardly blame you for killing someone on purpose. Which manslaugter is.
I think the widow got it.
Well, you can’t spell manslaughter without laughter.
Comment by Plas — Mon, Oct 29th, 2007 @ 11:52 pm