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Crimes against foreigners cleared up in Joensuu
- A series of crimes against foreigners has apparently been solved in Joensuu, the largest city in Northern Karelia, around 400 kilometres north-east of Helsinki. The accused, an 18-year-old local, is charged with committing close to 30 different offences last year, most of them with racial overtones and aimed at immigrants, particularly of African origin. Two other people were also arrested as accomplices at the end of December.
- A list of addresses and car registration numbers belonging to the city's non-native population were found among the young man's possessions. The burning down of a foreign-owned roadside grill kiosk last April is counted as the accused's most serious crime. Other charges include arson and vandalism of cars and shops owned by immigrants, along with fraud, forgery, and a couple of assault cases. He reportedly monitored police radio frequencies and was thus able to remain one step ahead of the law.
- The police in the city will breathe a sigh of relief now that this clearly laborious exercise has been succesfully completed, but these are not the only xenophobic acts that Joensuu immigrants have been victims of. Last year the city experienced the burning of a Bangladeshi-owned restaurant and other crimes, most of which seem to be motivated by racism. Police have not ruled out the possibility that the three suspects may have been involved in some of these unsolved cases.
- The various incidents raised fear and anxiety among the non-Finnish population, but according to Joensuu police, crimes against immigrants are nevertheless on the decline, partly due to the efforts of city officials and local schools to hinder the formation of new skinhead groups.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 28.1.2000
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