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Appealed: Prosecutor demands jail sentence in Finns Party MP's assault, sexual harassment case

Finns Party MP Teuvo Hakkarainen was ordered on Monday to pay fines for forcibly kissing a fellow MP at a Christmas party held at parliament last year.

Kansanedustaja Teuvo Hakkarainen Helsingin käräjäoikeudessa 18. kesäkuuta
Finns Party MP Teuvo Hakkarainen in Helsinki District Court on Monday. Image: Emmi Korhonen / Lehtikuva
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The incident took place last year at a Christmas party at Parliament in Helsinki, when an intoxicated Hakkarainen approached MP Veera Ruoho and forced her to kiss him by grabbing her neck to pull her toward him.

On Monday Helsinki District Court ordered Hakkarainen to pay 45 day fines amounting to some 3,060 euros to the state and 1,400 euros in damages to Ruoho. He was also ordered to pay her court costs.

But on Tuesday Helsinki prosecutor Eija Velitski announced her decision to appeal the case requesting that Hakkarainen also receive a suspended jail sentence.

During the district court trial the prosecution demanded that Hakkarainen receive a 60-day suspended jail sentence and pay Ruoho 1,600 euros in damages.

Velitski said that in the worst case scenario, Hakkarainen's actions could have led to Ruoho's death, according to news agency STT.