For Veijo Baltzar, an absolute imprisonment for sexual offenses – Defense: At least a victory

According to the Court of Appeal, there was no evidence of human trafficking crimes. Previously, the district court had abandoned all the charges of Veijo Baltzar, the Cultural Counselor.

The Court of Appeal changed the district court’s judgment on sexual crime charges.

The Court of Appeal considered that Baltzar was guilty of two sexual abuse against two different victims.

He was sentenced to one year and 10 months of absolute imprisonment and damages. The punishment was sentenced to be absolute for the severity of the crimes.

However, Baltzar does not go to prison.

He is considered a first -time person, so he gets to the conditional freedom after half of the punishment. As Baltzar was in remediation for just over a year, it will be deducted from the imprisonment to be performed.

The Court of Appeal did not change the district court’s liberating judgment on human trafficking charges. There was also no evidence of rail work.

Baltzar and the prosecutor both satisfied

The prosecutor had claimed Baltzar for at least 10 years in prison for seven trafficking and sexual offenses against seven women.

Veijo Baltzar is pleased with the judgment, says Yle to his lawyer.

– At least a victory can be talked about, he continues.

However, Rhinvivivi points out that Baltzar cannot be satisfied that he was sentenced to imprisonment for sexual offenses.

– He has also denied these deeds, says Sarvikivi.

Veijo Baltzar has denied all charges throughout the criminal process.

– Not all the prosecutor’s demands were successful. But suddenly, the verdict seems very justified, says Sipilä.

– It is essential that Baltzar was guilty of sexual offenses in the judgment.

– Yes, at least today I can say that, because I haven’t read the whole judgment yet, Sipilä replies.

Court of Appeal: Baltzar used his position in favor of

The Court of Appeal considered that sexual abuse of two victims had been shown.

One of the acts took place between 2016 and 2019, the other 2017-2019.

The court considered the victims’ stories consistent. They were supported by written evidence and witness reports.

The Court of Appeal considered Baltzar, abuseing his position, to bend women into sexual intercourse or to take other sexual self -determination sexual acts.

Baltzar was found, among other things, to misuse of victims’ dependence.

– The acting of the lawyers on the acts had not been based on an equal situation for the parties. Baltzarin had to realize that the lawyers had undergone acts and the subject of subjection due to the dependence. The Baltzar procedure was thus considered intentional, the Court of Appeal explains.

According to the court, these were not gross rape, rape or coercion to sexual acts, which were primarily required in the prosecution.

The publicity, the age of the Baltzar or the health of the matter was not considered to be the relief of punishment.

In addition to Baltzar, the Court of Appeal ordered each victim to pay EUR 5,000 for the victim and EUR 4,000 for temporary disadvantages, including interest.

There were cultural features in the community

All the acts related to the prosecution took place between 2004 and 2019 in connection with theater and cultural activities.

According to the prosecutor, the community created around Baltzar’s theater activities was prevailed by the atmosphere of fear and it acted like a cult.

The Court of Appeal considered that there were cultural features in the community. The court notes that women were young and interested in theater activities. Baltzar was much older than them and worked in the cultural industry for a long time.

The women had been involved in the theater poduits directed by Baltzar and had lived or otherwise stayed with Baltzar and in different apartments to form a community.

However, the Court of Appeal stated that the features that define the cult were not in direct equivalence with the characteristics of trafficking in human beings, and that people had lived in such a community could, as such, be concluded that they were victims of human trafficking.

According to the Court of Appeal, it was not shown that Baltzar would have controlled women’s departures from the community, although this had somewhat interfered with their movement outside the community.

The district court previously released the charges

The criminal process on Veijo Baltzar has lasted for years.

He was arrested for the first time in November 2019.

The Helsinki District Court dismissed all charges in February 2022.

According to the District Court, it had not been shown that Baltzar’s intention would have been to bring women living or staying with him to forced labor, sexual abuse, or other dignity conditions.

*Corrected the story on April 29, 2025 at 3:03 pm Unlike the story before, Baltzar will not be in prison because he will be convicted of first -time and was previously in prison for more than a year.*

*The journalists of Helsingin Sanomat reported on November 30, 2019 in the Last Word program, how the story that revealed Veijo Baltzar was born.*