Latvian Man Sentenced to Life for Brutal Murder of Ex-Wife in Finland

A Finnish court has sentenced a 42-year-old man of Latvian origin to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of his ex-wife in Turku. The Varsinais-Suomi District Court ruled that the man killed the 38-year-old woman in her apartment in March, describing the act as murder due to its calculated nature and extreme brutality.

The court detailed how the man had scouted the apartment's layout in advance. During the attack, the couple's 13-year-old child was in the apartment and attempted to intervene. The father pushed the child into the bathroom, struck them, and prevented them from leaving before proceeding to kill the mother. The woman died from a stab wound to the neck, with strangulation also contributing to her death.

Evidence presented indicated the attack lasted over two and a half hours. The man had arrived at the apartment building that morning and forced his way inside when the woman and child opened their door, confiscating their phones. The motive, according to the court, stemmed from the woman having fled to a women's shelter with their child in December 2025 due to fear of violence and having filed for divorce and a restraining order.

The man admitted to causing his ex-wife's death but denied it was murder, arguing it should be classified as manslaughter. The court rejected this defense. He was also convicted of assaulting his child and ordered to pay compensation to the child and the deceased's estate. The verdict also included convictions for two sexual offenses, one against the child, which were heard in closed session. The man's name is being withheld to protect the child's identity. The sentences are not yet legally binding.