Helsinki police have reportedly confiscated knives and other sharp weapons from several minors while investigating an increasing number of violent crimes involving youth in the city.
Youth violence in Finland came into the spotlight once again when authorities revealed a 16-year-old is suspected of fatally stabbing a man at Helsinki’s Central Railway Station on Monday.
According to police, numerous youngsters in the capital city have taken to keeping a blade on their person at all times for their own protection or self-defense. Senior Detective Jari Koski told Yle that the adolescents live in constant fear as they believe they could be violently attacked at any time and even take weapons to school.
As per a report by Helsingin Sanomat, minors are suspected to be involved in 16 cases of robbery or attempted robbery by knifepoint in the capital city this year alone. The targets of the attacks are generally in the same age group as the assailants.
Police in Southwest Finland have also reported numerous cases of minors detonating homemade bombs across the region in the past few weeks.
Rising youth crime in Finland has been a growing concern for authorities since last year. According to a police report, drugs are often involved in these cases.
Tahira Sequeira
Helsinki Times
