According to the Finnish broadcasting company YLE news on domesticviolence, GREVIO-expert Johanna Nelles is demanding Finland to take moreactions to bridle violence against women, and women only[i] althoughmen in Finland experience domestic violence as much as women[ii]. Whyare men excluded?
Nelles is also said to have claimed that according to Finnishlegislation a rapist can only be judged if violence, force or threat has beenused, and that without bruises there cannot be a verdict. What Nelles said isnot the case. Section 1 of chapter 20 of the Criminal Code of Finland says:”(2) Also a person who, by taking advantage of the fact that another person, due to unconsciousness, illness, disability, state of fear or other state of helplessness, is unable to defend himself or herself or to formulate or express his or her will, has sexual intercourse with him or her, shall be sentenced for rape.”[iii]What is more, trials in Finland are often of word against word -type and noevidence of violation is neither presented nor required. Numerous false rapecharges and also verdicts have been seen in Finland. Fair attention should bepaid in preventing of false accusations and lies, too.
In supporting the change proposal of the definition of rape in FinnishCriminal Code, Nelles noted, that the proposal sets men alone responsible forrecognition of female desire. We cannot understand why this should be thetarget. It would remove women´s all sex-behavioral responsibilities and wouldrequire men to be able to read the thoughts of women in order to have sex.Instead it is mutual discussion and agreement we need!
We find it very difficult to understand and accept that a representativeof GREVIO has spoken the way YLE has written. It seems obvious that JohannaNelles just shoots around her politically colored opinions disregarding factsand human rights. Is GREVIO supporting what Nelles said?
If the Istanbul Convention requires this kind of activities anddisinformation, we will fight against the treaty and for getting Finland out ofit.
Miesten tasa-arvo ry
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[i]https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11086636
[ii]https://www.heuni.fi/material/attachments/heuni/reports/6KHnLcUwR/Full_report_66.pdf
[iii]https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/1889/18890039001#L20P1
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