Far-Right Sympathizer Suspected in Finnish Stabbing Attack

A man with far-right sympathies is suspected of a stabbing attack in Oulu, Finland, seriously wounding a 12-year-old child at a shopping centre. The attack, which also targeted a second child, occurred on Thursday night. The suspect faces preliminary charges for two attempted murders. Finland's Prime Minister condemned the violence.

A man with far-right sympathies is suspected of carrying out a stabbing attack in which a 12-year-old child was seriously wounded at a shopping centre in the northern Finnish city of Oulu, police said on Friday. The suspect also targeted a second child in the attack, which took place late on Thursday, and will face preliminary charges of two attempted murders, the National Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

"The criminal investigation is still at an early stage and the police do not know the exact motive for the act. They know, however, that the suspect has a background in extreme right activities," the NBI said. Public broadcaster Yle showed images of what it said was a pool of blood on the floor of the shopping centre

Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo condemned the attack. "Far-right violence is a genuine threat in Finland," Orpo said in a post on social media X. "There is no room for extremism of any kind in this country."

The 12-year-old child was in a stable condition after being seriously wounded in the attack, police said. The suspect, who was born in 1990, was believed to have stabbed the child several times from behind before being stopped by a security guard, the NBI said.