In December 2018, it transpired that adult men, all of whom had arrived in Finland as asylum seekers or refugees, were grooming, and raping and otherwise sexually abusing, girls under 15 years of age in Oulu, Finland. One victim ended up committing suicide. The Oulu Police Department warned young girls and parents, while emphasizing that "not all people with foreign backgrounds are dishonest or criminals".[1]
By mid-January 2019, the suspects numbered 16. The case was said to have "rocked" Finland,[2] where cabinet members broke the otherwise normal Finnish taboo about commenting about ongoing criminal investigations.[3]
the warning mostly applies to one group of online predators and hopefully will not tarnish the reputation of all migrants, police added. "I hope this will not result in more racism. The police would like to emphasise that not all people with foreign backgrounds are dishonest or criminals," Kiiskinen said.
Finland was rocked by the revelations earlier this month that 10 people of foreign backgrounds had been arrested for rape and sexual assault of several underage girls in Oulu
Comments by cabinet members about ongoing criminal investigations are rare in Finland.