Helsinki District Court has sentenced a 43-year-old taxi driver to six years and three months in prison for a total of 18 different crimes, most of which were related to the drugging and raping of four female victims.
The court heard that from 2019 the defendant had been driving a car with a taxi sign on the roof and picking up unaccompanied women from taxi ranks. Police believe he provided his victims with alcohol and possibly other intoxicants while pretending to bring them to their intended destination.
However, he instead brought the passengers to an apartment outside Helsinki, where the court heard he raped the women. Some of the sexual offences also took place inside the taxi.
One of the victims was only 16 years old.
The man was convicted on charges of rape, aggravated rape and coercion into sexual activity, as well as other offences including deprivation of liberty, illicit observation, distribution of sexually obscene images, drug offences, and violation of an order banning the use of a psychoactive substance.
The defendant had denied most of the charges.
More suspected victims have emerged during the course of the preliminary investigation, and police have already brought new charges against the man for suspected sexual offences with investigations into other cases continuing.
Friday's ruling by the Helsinki District Court only concerned the earlier cases.