Radio | News week in plain Finnish | Saturday 25.10.2025

Anneli Auer’s trial

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An unusual trial has begun in Finland this week.

The court is handling sexual crimes for which convictions were handed down more than 10 years ago.

However, the Supreme Court overturned the convictions after the victims said that no crimes actually occurred.

Now we will tell you more about this trial.

Serious sexual assault charges

Anneli Auer answering journalists’ questions at the District Court of Southwest Finland on October 21, 2025, before the new hearing of the sexual assault case.

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Journalists were waiting when Anneli Auer arrived at the district court. Photo: Kalle Mäkelä / Yle

Serious criminal charges were read out in the Southwest Finland District Court on Tuesday. There are two defendants: Anneli Auer and her ex-boyfriend Jens Kukka. They are accused of serious sexual and violent crimes, the victims of which were Auer’s four children.

The prosecutor says the crimes took place between 2007 and 2009. The children were still young at the time, the youngest only a few years old.

The victims’ narrative changed

Anneli Auer answering journalists’ questions at the District Court of Southwest Finland.

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Anneli Auer. Photo: Kalle Mäkelä / Yle

The trial that has just begun is unusual.

Anneli Auer and Jens Kukka have already been in prison for these same crimes. In 2013, Auer received seven and a half years in prison and Kukka received 10 years in prison.

The verdicts were largely based on the accounts of the victims, Auer’s children. Auer and Kukka themselves have consistently said they are innocent.

Now Auer’s children have also said that these crimes did not actually happen. They say they lied about it when they were children. That’s why the Supreme Court overturned Auer’s and Kukka’s convictions last year.

The state may face compensation

Jens Kukka in front of the media at the Turku courthouse.

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Jens Kukka. Photo: Kalle Mäkelä / Yle

However, Anneli Auer and Jens Kukka are back in court for the same sexual offences. The Supreme Court overturned the old convictions, but the prosecutor wants a new ruling on the matter.

The district court must now decide whether Auer’s children were telling the truth when they were children. Or whether they are telling the truth now that they are adults.

If the court finds Auer and Kukka innocent, the state may have to pay them large compensation for the years they spent in prison.

The trial may last until mid-January.

Repetition

In Newsweek, we reported on an unusual trial that began this week.

The district court handles sexual crimes for which convictions were handed down more than 10 years ago.

The Supreme Court overturned the convictions when the victims of the crimes said that no crime had actually occurred.

That’s all for now. See you again tomorrow.