Finland Times

 

File picture of the trial of the eight-year-old girl on February 23, 2015 in the Helsinki District Court. Photo – Lehtikuva.

The District Court of Helsinki sentenced two social workers from Helsinki for negligence of duty in the death of an 8-year-old girl.

 

Charges brought against eight other accused persons were dismissed by the court.

 

A senior social worker who stood accused was fined by the court. No further punishment was handed to one other social worker in-charge of the late eight-year-old girl's affair since the incident had already affected the personal life and work of the social worker.

 

The girl's father and stepmother were found guilty of murdering the girl on Mother's Day 2012.

 

The father and the stepmother were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, assault and deprivation of freedom.

 

The social workers and the social worker's immediate supervisor, according to District Court, should have spearheaded the investigations following two reports made by a neighbour of the girl's family.

 

They should have also taken urgent child protection measures after two reports came from the school.

 

The court, however, did not hold the two social workers responsible for acting intentionally.

 

The prosecutor, Tuire Tamminiemi, will take the matter to the Court of Appeal.

 

Tamminiemi intends to notify of his discontent with the whole verdict.

 

"For example, the criminal counts on the social workers in-charge of the child's interests showed clearly that the child had not been seen, heard or brought during the social worker's spell as the guardian of interest. In respect to these, the binding nature of the law provision is clear. Now those criminal counts have been dismissed," Tamminiemi said.

 

Tamminiemi was also not pleased with the penalty imposed.

 

The prosecutor demanded penalties to hand to four social child protection social workers and seven heath workers for breach of official duty.

 

According to the charges pressed, the social workers had, among other things, neglected to clarify ambiguities related to the child's growing conditions and failed to take necessary measures.