The prosecutor in Helsinki has filed charges against a 54-year-old man who is accused of the attempted kidnapping of a nine-year-old child in the capital’s Kulosaari in April.
The trial at the Helsinki District Court will be held in two weeks, and the suspect is currently in police custody.
The abduction took place on the morning of April 22, when the boy was on his way to school. According to the police’s information at the time, the suspect forced the boy into the car a little before nine in the morning and started driving east of Kulosaari.
The suspect then sent a blackmail message to the child’s parents, who immediately contacted the police.
He drove further east to Sipoo, lifted her from the car and tied her to a tree with zip ties, covering her face with cloth and tape.
However, after the suspect left the scene, the nine-year-old was able to remove the safety devices and walked to a nearby road, where a passer-by found the child.
"The boy acted with exceptional courage in the situation. He also explained the events to the police very clearly and coherently, especially considering his age." Detective Inspector Marko Forss said during the preliminary investigation.
The police suspect that the man planned the kidnapping in advance and that the act was aimed specifically at the boy in question. The motive was financial gain, the police added.
The suspect has a long criminal history
The suspect in the case has a long criminal record, and the most serious of his crimes is manslaughter, for which he was convicted in the Helsinki District Court in the early 2000s.
In the same case, he was also found guilty of aggravated robbery and aggravated firearm crimes.
The man has also been convicted of various fraud crimes, and he has changed his name several times.
Source: The Nordic Page
