HELSINKI, Finland — Helsinki police say they are investigating seven cases of suspected sexual assault and harassment of women on New Year’s Eve by men who reportedly appeared to be of foreign origin.
Detective Superintendent Teija Koskenmaki-Karaharju says the alleged cases, in and around a central square in the Finnish capital, have been reported by victims and witnesses.
She said Wednesday that the suspected perpetrators groped or tried to force themselves sexually on women.
Koskenmaki-Karaharju said investigators weren’t sure if the cases were linked, but added that such cases weren’t unusual when people are partying “and lots of alcohol is involved.” No arrests have been made.
The reports come after a string of attacks on women in Cologne, Germany, on New Year’s Eve which were largely blamed on foreigners.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
It's not (only) about you.
Supporting The Times of Israel isn’t a transaction for an online service, like subscribing to Netflix. The ToI Community is for people like you who care about a common good: ensuring that balanced, responsible coverage of Israel continues to be available to millions across the world, for free.
Sure, we'll remove all ads from your page and you'll unlock access to some excellent Community-only content. But your support gives you something more profound than that: the pride of joining something that really matters.
Join the Times of Israel Community
Join our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate professional journalism
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, during an ongoing war when facts are often distorted and news coverage of Israel often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this