4 child sexual abuse convicts contesting municipal polls

Four candidates of different political parties contesting the municipal elections, have been convicted of child sexual abuses, reported Helsingin Sanomat, a leading Finnish language newspaper on Friday.

Two of them belong to the main opposition Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) while one is contesting for the opposition Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP) and the rest one for Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party of Finland), the second largest component of the five-party alliance government.

According to the report, Satakunta District Court convicted Raimo Helenius of child sexual abuse in 2017 and sentenced to 1 year and 10 months' probation.

Helenius is contesting in the municipal polls as a Perussuomalaiset candidate from Kannonkoski in Jyväskylä.

The news disclosed the name of Helenius considering the societal significance of the incident.

Meanwhile, the Perussuomalaiset has withdrawn support for a candidate found to have been convicted of aggravated sexual abuse of child and other charges, reported national broadcaster Yle.

Pekka Kataja, election coordinator of the party in Central Finland, told Yle he was baffled by the case.

The municipal elections are scheduled to be held on 13 June.

The advance voting in the municipal elections began on 26 May and will be continued two weeks till 8 June.