Turku Court overturns sexual exploitation ruling in Pirkanmaa District Court case

The Turku Court of Appeal has overturned a ruling by the Pirkanmaa District Court regarding a case of sexual exploitation of a minor. The case involved a 15-year-old boy who requested images of a 14-year-old girl’s breasts through Snapchat. Although the girl initially declined, she eventually sent between three to ten photos, stating that she did so to please the boy.

The Pirkanmaa District Court had found the boy guilty of sexual exploitation of a child, imposing a fine of 50 daily rates, totaling 300 euros. The boy appealed the decision to the Court of Appeal, seeking dismissal of the charges. He contended that he had not pressured or coerced the girl into any sexual acts, emphasizing that the exchange of images occurred consensually within their romantic relationship.

The Court of Appeal ruled that the requests made by the boy did not involve threats or negative consequences towards the girl if she did not comply with the requests. It further noted that using a messaging app to make such requests provided a more flexible opportunity for the girl to respond as she wished compared to a situation where the individuals were physically present together.

The court’s decision indicated that the accounts from both the boy and the girl did not support the claim that the boy had violated the girl’s right to self-determination. For these reasons, the Turku Court of Appeal acquitted the boy of the charged offense. However, this ruling is not final, as the decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court.