A court in Finland has dismissed a case against a man accused of rape after he married his alleged victim. The trial, which was being heard at the North Karelia District Court, dried up after the woman refused to give any evidence against her newlywed spouse.
The 43-year-old man was accused by the prosecution of rape, assault and unlawful threats which were apparently committed in Kitee, Eastern Finland, in February. The man and woman have however since entered into a common-law marriage with each other.
The woman told police about the offence three days after it allegedly occurred. She has since declined to speak more on the subject, however, after admitting getting hitched to her supposed rapist a month-and-a-half later.
The couple both objected when the prosecutor expressed his wish to read the woman’s preliminary account of what happened to the court. The court decided that the plaintiff and her husband had a right to prevent the statement being released.
The case, which was held behind closed doors, concluded with all the charges being dropped. According to a public announcement by the court, the ruling was based on the assumption that the man did not coerce his new wife into marriage.