Ruoho receives threats after conviction of Hakkarainen

Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party) lawmaker Veera Ruoho received threatening messages following conviction of Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) lawmaker Teuvo Hakkarainen for harassing Ruoho sexually in parliament building, reported Finnish language news consortium Lännen Media.

Meanwhile, Kokoomus Chairman Petteri Orpo raised voice against the threatening messages and expressed support to his party female MP Veera Ruoho.

“It is quite inconceivable that @VeeraRuoho became the victim of harassment at the workplace and after that now becomes target of hate mail. All-out support to Veera! Painful actions by the perpetrators,” Orpo wrote in his twitter on Friday.

The Lännen Media report said that the threatening messages included abusive words terming

Ruoho greedy and liar. It also said that the incident of attempts to kiss could be considered as humour.

The messages were forwarded to the Parliament’s security unit and the authority in cooperation with police are investigating into the matter, Parliamentary security chief Jukka Savola told Lännen Media.

Ruoho said that the messages created panic and anxiety for her.

A court in Helsinki on June 18 convicted Perussuomalaiset Member of Parliament Teuvo Hakkarainen of harassing Veera Ruoho sexually in the parliament building.

Hakkarainen was given 45 day fines that amounts to 3,000 euros and 1,400 euros of compensation to Kokoomus lawmaker Veera Ruoho.

The incident took place last December in the canteen of the parliament while an evening session was ongoing in the next door plenary hall. Kokoomus MP Ruoho went to get a cup of coffee when Hakkarainen, of the Perussuomalaiset Party, hooked Ruoho's neck with his arm and enforced a kiss on her.

Hakkarainen did the action under the influence of alcohol.

Ruoho is a police officer in her civilian profession. Another MP with police background, Kari Tolvanen, intervened to help Ruoho.

The court noted in its verdict that "enforced kissing against the will of a person" amounts to sexual harassment. The court also said Hakkarainen's action was so strong that he must have realized he caused pain to Ruoho.

Hakkarainen has a previous conviction for online hate speech, handed down by a Jyväskylä court early last year.