Janne Aikala
Encyclopedia
Janne Samuel Aikala was a small boy, who was killed by antiquarian
keeper Jorma Patjas in spring 1986. This is notable because of the Supreme Court review and the legal concept of murder and manslaughter in Finland was an issue.
lesson a little earlier than usual, in order to stop at the local antiquarian in the city centre on his way. The piano lesson was supposed to begin at 4 PM. Janne never got there. Janne's parents reported their son as missing. Because he was a small boy, the police
took the report very seriously. The search was aided by the coast guard helicopter
s and infrared cameras, but in vain.
s found Janne's body 20 km away from the centre of Turku by the Turku-Tampere
highway. The police investigation found that Janne had been killed by strangling
, and not by accident as was originally suspected. The 41-year-old antiquarian keeper Jorma Patjas was brought in for questioning, because Janne was presumed to have last been alive in his shop. During the interrogation
, Patjas confessed to having killed Janne, claiming he had killed him by accident. Patjas told the police he had consumed a lot of alcoholic beverage
s on the evening before the day of the murder and on the morning of the day of the murder.
s kept behind curtains, and according to Patjas's report, these were not suitable for the eyes of a small boy. Janne had ignored Patjas's warnings, causing him to become nervous. Patjas started to assault Janne by holding him by the back of his neck and banging his head against the wall, causing him to lose consciousness. Patajs became scared, thinking he had killed Janne, and went to close the door of his shop and put a notice saying "Just a minute" at the window to keep customers away. After this, Patjas bound Janne's arms and legs, gagged him, and brought him to the back room. Having done this, Patjas went back to his apartment to drink more alcohol, leaving Janne bound in the back room of his antiquarian.
In the evening, Patjas went back to his shop to free Janne. Patjas tried to calm the panic
ked Janne down by offering him Coca-Cola
to drink. Patjas managed to get Janne to agree not to tell anyone of what had happened. Janne soon threatened Patjas by saying "I will tell everything to the police anyway and you'll go to prison
." This caused Patjas to lose his temper, and he strangled Janne to the death with a piece of rope
. Immediately after having done this, Patjas hid the body in a big cardboard box and took it to the back of his room. After this, he went to his apartment to sleep.
The next morning, on Thursday, Patjas opened his shop as normal. In the evening, after closing his shop, Patjas moved the cardboard box and the body to his to the back of his Opel
and sought a quiet spot where he could abandon the body. Patjas threw the body out of the cardboard box to a ditch near the highway and drove back to his home. Patjas had left the cardboard box and the notation sheet Janne had had with him to the garbage pail by his apartment.
for lifetime in prison and to pay a sum of 21,500 Finnish markkaa to Janne's family as compensation. The court decision of murder was influenced by the fact that the victim had been a defenseless child, and the victim had been assaulted and kept bound before the killing.
The Turku district court judged the case as manslaughter
in July 1987, because it felt that Patjas had not acted out of premeditation when killing Janne. However, the district court also took note of the fact that the victim had been a defenseless child, and gave a severe sentence of 12 years and 1 month in prison.
In July 1988, the supreme court judged the case as murder and sentenced Patjas to lifetime in prison.
As a child murderer, Patjas received wide contempt when the case came to public knowledge. Some people even felt contempt towards his mother, who had nothing whatsoever to do with Janne's murder.
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
keeper Jorma Patjas in spring 1986. This is notable because of the Supreme Court review and the legal concept of murder and manslaughter in Finland was an issue.
The day of the murder
On Wednesday. 14 May 1986, Janne Aikala had left his home for his pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
lesson a little earlier than usual, in order to stop at the local antiquarian in the city centre on his way. The piano lesson was supposed to begin at 4 PM. Janne never got there. Janne's parents reported their son as missing. Because he was a small boy, the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
took the report very seriously. The search was aided by the coast guard helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s and infrared cameras, but in vain.
Discovery of the body
On Saturday 17 May at 9:45 PM, a couple riding their bicycleBicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s found Janne's body 20 km away from the centre of Turku by the Turku-Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
highway. The police investigation found that Janne had been killed by strangling
Strangling
Strangling is compression of the neck that may lead to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain. Fatal strangling typically occurs in cases of violence, accidents, and as the auxiliary lethal mechanism in hangings in the event the neck does not break...
, and not by accident as was originally suspected. The 41-year-old antiquarian keeper Jorma Patjas was brought in for questioning, because Janne was presumed to have last been alive in his shop. During the interrogation
Interrogation
Interrogation is interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the police, military, and Intelligence agencies with the goal of extracting a confession or obtaining information. Subjects of interrogation are often the suspects, victims, or witnesses of a crime...
, Patjas confessed to having killed Janne, claiming he had killed him by accident. Patjas told the police he had consumed a lot of alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s on the evening before the day of the murder and on the morning of the day of the murder.
Course of events
Having arrived to the antiquarian, Janne had gone to the back room of the shop, where there were sex toySex toy
A sex toy is an object or device that is primarily used to facilitate human sexual pleasure. The most popular sex toys are designed to resemble human genitals and may be vibrating or non-vibrating...
s kept behind curtains, and according to Patjas's report, these were not suitable for the eyes of a small boy. Janne had ignored Patjas's warnings, causing him to become nervous. Patjas started to assault Janne by holding him by the back of his neck and banging his head against the wall, causing him to lose consciousness. Patajs became scared, thinking he had killed Janne, and went to close the door of his shop and put a notice saying "Just a minute" at the window to keep customers away. After this, Patjas bound Janne's arms and legs, gagged him, and brought him to the back room. Having done this, Patjas went back to his apartment to drink more alcohol, leaving Janne bound in the back room of his antiquarian.
In the evening, Patjas went back to his shop to free Janne. Patjas tried to calm the panic
Panic
Panic is a sudden sensation of fear which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frantic agitation consistent with an animalistic fight-or-flight reaction...
ked Janne down by offering him Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
to drink. Patjas managed to get Janne to agree not to tell anyone of what had happened. Janne soon threatened Patjas by saying "I will tell everything to the police anyway and you'll go to prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
." This caused Patjas to lose his temper, and he strangled Janne to the death with a piece of rope
Rope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
. Immediately after having done this, Patjas hid the body in a big cardboard box and took it to the back of his room. After this, he went to his apartment to sleep.
The next morning, on Thursday, Patjas opened his shop as normal. In the evening, after closing his shop, Patjas moved the cardboard box and the body to his to the back of his Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
and sought a quiet spot where he could abandon the body. Patjas threw the body out of the cardboard box to a ditch near the highway and drove back to his home. Patjas had left the cardboard box and the notation sheet Janne had had with him to the garbage pail by his apartment.
Verdict
Jorma Patjas was sentenced in court in January 1987 for assault, kidnapping and murderMurder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
for lifetime in prison and to pay a sum of 21,500 Finnish markkaa to Janne's family as compensation. The court decision of murder was influenced by the fact that the victim had been a defenseless child, and the victim had been assaulted and kept bound before the killing.
The Turku district court judged the case as manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
in July 1987, because it felt that Patjas had not acted out of premeditation when killing Janne. However, the district court also took note of the fact that the victim had been a defenseless child, and gave a severe sentence of 12 years and 1 month in prison.
In July 1988, the supreme court judged the case as murder and sentenced Patjas to lifetime in prison.
As a child murderer, Patjas received wide contempt when the case came to public knowledge. Some people even felt contempt towards his mother, who had nothing whatsoever to do with Janne's murder.
Sources
- Hannes Markkula: Suomalainen murha 1953-1990
- Pohjolan pollisi kertoo 1988 (article: Jannen tapaus)
- Supreme court decision on 5 July 1988
Literature
- Hannes Markkula: Suomalainen murha 1953-1990
- Pohjolan poliisi kertoo 1988 (article: Jannen tapaus)