According to Hufvudstadsbladet newspaper, police in Finland have recently been given the power to issue fines for perceived sexual harassment.

"We’ve attempted to find a quick solution to the problem. The existing threshold for sexual harassment complaints is pretty high, but perhaps we’ll be able to decrease it if police will be able to act immediately," Helsinki police chief Lasse Aapio said.

A patrol officer doesn’t require any special permission other than the victim’s statement in order to fine a suspect, as sexual harassment is usually pretty obvious, he added.

"The fines would also help to more easily identify perpetrators, which can sometimes be quite problematic if a crime was reported too late. A police officer issuing a fine may also immediately suggest a victim to officially press charges," Aapio pointed out.

This new development comes in the wake of a controversy originally sparked by a series of sexual harassments that were reported following the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

According to Finnish broadcaster Yle, in January Helsinki police confirmed 16 reports of sexual crimes perpetrated on New Year’s Eve "mainly by men of foreign appearance."

However, the investigations into all but one (an attempted rape) of these crimes were shut down "as police failed to identify either a suspect or a victim," and according to Finnish legislation, sexual harassment can only be prosecuted if the victim decides to press charges.