Prosecutors Drop Human Trafficking and Assault Charges Against Former Finnish Councilor

Prosecutors have decided not to press charges against Teemu Torssonen, a former city councilor in Jyväskylä, Finland, who was suspected of human trafficking and assault. The prosecutor's office stated that there were no probable grounds to suspect Torssonen of either crime.

“

There are no probable grounds to suspect Torssonen of human trafficking or assault.

The investigation, which spanned 11 years, focused on allegations of physical and psychological violence against the complainant, as well as restrictions and control over her life. The complainant also alleged that Torssonen pressured her into animal welfare work, specifically fish and game monitoring. Torssonen has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

According to the prosecutor's decision, the complainant's account of physical violence was described as general, lacking specific details of events. Torssonen acknowledged some inappropriate speech, name-calling, pushing, and holding, which he described as attempts to keep the complainant from moving during arguments. The prosecutor noted that while psychological violence can be considered assault if it harms the victim's health and is proven to be caused by the suspect's actions, there was insufficient evidence in this case.

“

The complainant's account of physical violence is general and does not contain much description of events.

The complainant did not seek medical attention for the alleged violence and only reported it to her mother and a friend, neither of whom had direct observations. Evidence supporting the claims of psychological pressure and coercion came from recorded phone calls and voice messages. The prosecutor found Torssonen's instructions to be "pressuring and partly threatening" due to their content, detail, and repetition. However, the prosecutor concluded there was no evidence that Torssonen intended to force the complainant into slave labor or degrading conditions, nor that she was entirely under his control. The extent to which the complainant participated in animal welfare work voluntarily remained unclear, though the prosecutor acknowledged she did some work against her will due to Torssonen's pressure.

“

The instructions given by Torssonen were, due to their content, detail, and repetition, 'pressuring and partly threatening'.