3 foreigners arrested in Helsinki on alleged sex crimes

Helsinki police announced on Sunday it had detained three foreigners late Saturday as sex crime suspects. The announcement came after a series of alleged sex crimes by asylum seekers in Oulu, northern Finland, aroused debate in the Nordic nation.

The investigation concerned alleged sexual abuse of minors and aggravated rape suspected to have taken place in an apartment during the last two months in Helsinki. In Finnish law, anyone under 16 is a child in terms of sexual abuse.

The city of Oulu has got a pledge from the cabinet for additional government funding to cope with the crime situation. Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and two other ministers visited Oulu on Saturday. Sipilä repeated his message that asylum seekers must adhere to Finnish values and laws.

Parliamentary party groups will review the situation on Tuesday. Antti Lindtman, chairman of the opposition social democratic parliamentary group, suggested on Sunday that a special police unit "with enough resources" should be established to fight internet based criminality.

He demanded that a supplementary budget be accepted before this parliament is dissolving in March. The parliamentary election is due to take place in April.