3 Teenagers Who Bullied, Brutally Beat Fellow Student To Death Jailed

Three teenagers in Finland have been jailed for torturing and killing their 16-year-old classmate near Helsinki last year.

The three teenagers, whose identities were not revealed, were handed prison sentences ranging from eight years and two months to 10 years and one month in a Finnish court Friday, AFP reported.

The defendants, all born in 2004, harassed the deceased for months before brutally beating him to death in December last year.

The three teenagers assaulted their fellow student for several hours before the unidentified victim ultimately died of brain damage and a punctured lung caused by broken ribs, the court heard. The trio also filmed the attack.

The 16-year-old victim was subjected to degrading and humiliating acts, public broadcaster Yle reported. Prior to his death, the teen had been left lying in freezing temperatures with little clothing for hours after the assault. More than 100 injuries to his body were recorded.

The victim's body was found on Dec. 4, 2020, in a park in Koskela, in the north of Helsinki.

The three teens admitted the assault but denied killing the victim, whom they had known since kindergarten.

The trio had acted together and planned to intoxicate the victim using strong alcohol before carrying out the assault. The boy had also been assaulted in separate attacks weeks before his death.

Aside from murder, the three also faced robbery charges and eight counts of assault for the beatings inflicted on the victim in the weeks leading up to his death, according to court documents. There is reportedly a fourth suspect who was charged with robbery.

Staff at the care home where the victim lived had initially refused to search for him when the teenager failed to return, Yle reported. The lifeless body of the student was found three days after his death, according to the police.

The Helsinki police department looked into the possibility that any child welfare services had breached their duty of care. Crime Commissioner Markku Silén said there was "no concrete evidence" that any teacher, child protection worker or other officials committed any misconduct.

The three teenagers have the right to appeal against their prison sentences.