Teuvo Hakkarainen, now an ex-deputy chairperson of the Finns Party, has admitted to grabbing his female colleague inside the Finnish Parliament on Thursday, 14 December, 2017.
Veera Ruoho (NCP) reveals that she has filed a criminal report against one of her fellow Members of the Finnish Parliament, Teuvo Hakkarainen (PS).
Hakkarainen, while intoxicated, reportedly grabbed Ruoho by the neck and tried to force his lips on hers in the canteen of the Finnish Parliament on Thursday, after attending the pikkujoulu party of the Finns Party.
“I’ve forgiven [him]. I’ll regardless bring sexual harassment charges against Hakkarainen. I’m also considering other charges. This is the Parliament, after all, not your everyday workplace,” Ruoho commented to YLE on Tuesday.
The incident took place during a plenary debate on the reform of the alcohol legislation of Finland.
Hakkarainen has admitted to the incident and relinquished his position as the second deputy chairperson of the Finns Party. He has also been issued a serious warning by the Finns Party Parliamentary Group and reprimanded publicly for his “extremely rude behaviour” by Speaker of the Parliament Maria Lohela (BR).
Ilta-Sanomat on Tuesday revealed that a similar incident took place during the pikkujoulu party of the Finns Party in 2016: Hakkarainen, who according to eyewitnesses was heavily intoxicated, grabbed Päivi Räsänen (Christian Democrats) by the hair and swung her around while slurring her name outside the Parliament Annex.
Räsänen confirmed the incident to Ilta-Sanomat. Hakkarainen, she said, was so intoxicated that he could not remember the incident afterwards but apologised sincerely after hearing about it.
“I forgave him. That’s another reason why I haven’t been willing to talk about this,” she said.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT Photo: Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi
