Image: Eeva Riihelä / Lehtikuva

Police in the northern Finnish city of Oulu said on Wednesday that they have uncovered yet another suspected sex crime against a minor. The case is being investigated as suspected aggravated rape and aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Police believe that the crime took place in a private flat in January, and that the victim was a 14-year-old girl.

Police say the latest case came to light while they were investigating two other sex crimes believed to have occurred last weekend. That case, which was reported on Tuesday, centres on the suspected rape of two girls in an Oulu apartment.

About 10 cases since December

One victim is described as being under age 16 and the other as under 18. Authorities say the victims knew each other. Police told Yle that social media did not play a role in these two cases, unlike other similar cases in the city in recent months.

Oulu District Court has remanded a man described as being "of foreign background" in pre-trial detention in connection with the crimes. Authorities say he may face charges including aggravated rape, aggravated sexual abuse of a child, assault and coercion.

According to Detective Superintendent Markus Kiiskinen, both investigations are in their early stages.

22-year-old charged with November assault

Since December, officials in Oulu have been probing about 10 cases in which men "of foreign background" are suspected of sex crimes against minors. In many of the cases, victims say they were approached via social media.

Also on Wednesday, the district prosecutor charged a 22-year-old man "of foreign background" with aggravated rape and aggravated sexual abuse of a child. The assault against a 14-year-old girl is alleged to have occurred outdoors in the Tuira neighbourhood in the northern part of Oulu on 17 November. Another sex crime against a minor is believed to occurred on the same date in the same district.