Helsingin sanomat newspaper deepens Problems of the Finnish criminal justice system in resolving cases related to sexual and domestic violence.
Criminal lawyer Maija HäyrinenA specialist in sexual offenses for almost 15 years says that long delays in police investigations are common in Finland, even in cases related to serious forms of sexual exploitation.
"People do not understand how worn this system is," he says and adds that the quality of the investigation of such cases has deteriorated in recent years, especially in terms of the attitudes and expertise of officials.
Although sexual and intimate partner violence is officially at the top of the police priority list, Häyrinen believes that this is only true on paper based on the experience of his clients.
He cites the example of one client who was the victim of aggravated child sexual abuse. Although the criminal report was initiated in 2019, the investigation is still pending more than two years later.
In addition, even if the police investigation is not stretched, the criminal process is often lengthy and laborious, with judges and prosecutors postponing cases for years.
Häyrinen draws attention to the fact that several sexual offense cases brought in the last two or three years have still not been heard in the district court.
He believes that not enough is being done to remedy the situation, as serious sexual violence affects only a small proportion of the population.
"Decision makers do not need to address these issues. Maybe they believe that these problems do not affect them but some other society," Häyrinen suggests.
The day care crisis in Helsinki is getting worse
Iltalehti conveys a shaking The deterioration of the day care situation in Helsinki, where employees from other departments of the city are being transferred to early childhood education due to the continuing shortage of staff.
By Ulla LehtonenThe head of early childhood education in the city of Helsinki, the city has transferred 20 employees from other departments, including libraries, sports services, culture and museums, to kindergartens.
They are all permanent employees of the city and will now help lead groups of children in 20 different kindergartens across Helsinki.
Lehtonen says that a two-day training has been arranged for the new staff, and they will not stay in office for more than eight weeks.
There has been an alarming shortage of staff in Helsinki’s day care centers in recent months, which has worsened recently due to the rise in Covid-19 cases.
Covid burdens maternity wards
Tampere-based Aamulehti is studying the effects of the Covid-19 crisis on maternity wards and pregnant women.
By reportdoctors have had to make difficult decisions, including abortion to ensure the survival of patients with the virus.
The maternity ward at Tampere University Hospital (Tays) is said to have a worsening Covid-19 situation, as mothers who become infected must be isolated after giving birth.
The increase in Omicron cases has also led to staff shortages and several postponements of home visits and cancellations of appointments.
The Department of Health and Welfare (THL) added pregnant women to its risk groups last month, noting that pregnancy increases the risk of developing serious Covid-19 disease.
Source: The Nordic Page