The Rovaniemi Court of Appeal has confirmed the three last prison sentences for three men of foreign origin convicted of sexual crimes in the city Oulu (Ostrobothnia region, northwest of Finland).

In this case, which caused a huge commotion across the country last year, eight men of foreign background were charged with sexual offenses against a 12-13 year old girl.

The Court of Appeal decided unanimously not to change the sentence issued in spring 2019 by the Oulu District Court.

Rahmani Gheibali was sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment for aggravated rape and aggravated sexual abuse of a child.

Ahmed Abdo Ibrahim, 34, was sentenced to 4 years and 2 months of imprisonment for aggravated rape, aggravated sexual abuse of a child and possession of sexually explicit material depicting a child.

Qayssar Mohsin Sbahi Aldhulaiei was sentenced to four years of imprisonment for aggravated sexual abuse of a child, aggravated rape and assault.

Sufficient evidence

The Court of Appeal held oral hearings on the case between January and February 2020. The main reason of dispute was if different people and events had been confused in the case. The court also confirmed the right of the defendants and their defenders to access the victim's interrogation recordings and the reports of the Oulu University Hospital.

As the Oulu District Court did before, the Rovaniemi Court of Appeal found that the victim's report was reliable and that the evidence as a whole was sufficient to demonstrate that the girl had not confused the various people and events involved in this crime.