Church considers tightening regulations for confirmation schools in Finland amid reports of misconduct
The Evangelical Lutheran Church is considering tightening regulations for confirmation schools amid multiple reports of inappropriate behavior by adults this year. Incidents have surfaced this summer in locations such as Merikarvia and Kankaanpää, where a priest’s inappropriate conduct led to the suspension of a camp, and a camp leader was replaced due to allegations of physical misconduct with participants.
The most recent case emerged this week in Hamina, where an adult man posed as a camp mentor and engaged in sexual misconduct with a child. Jarmo Kokkonen, head of the Church’s Worship and Education unit, believes these recurrent incidents suggest they are not isolated cases, prompting a critical review of adult operations and practices within confirmation schools.
Currently, each confirmation school adheres to a plan established by the Church in 2017. Kokkonen clarified that no national directives have yet been set to improve guidelines but emphasized the need to evaluate group sizes to ensure they remain manageable. The identities of confirmation leaders are typically known to church staff, and each leader must submit a safety form and tax card containing identity details.
Bishop Mari Parkkinen of the Mikkeli Diocese stated that these inappropriate cases indicate unprofessional behavior among adults. However, they also reflect credible channels within the Church for reporting such incidents. She expressed relief that these issues have come to light, allowing for necessary actions to be taken.
An expert team has been convened to explore potential new practices to enhance safety at confirmation camps, including adding physical and emotional integrity clauses to safety documents and introducing anti-bullying agreements to be signed by both participants and staff. Parkkinen advocates for increasing the number of staff at camps for better oversight and suggests that tax cards should be collected immediately following the selection of leaders, alongside background checks, despite legal non-requirements.