Espoo college attack has resulted in a two-year prison sentence for an 18-year-old former student who carried out a racist knife attack on two students of immigrant background at a vocational college in Finland. A court ruled that the attack was motivated by racism and said the victims were deliberately targeted because of their background.
The Western Uusimaa District Court found the man guilty of attempted aggravated assault, assault and making an unlawful threat over the incident at Live Vocational College in Leppävaara on 29 September 2025. The ruling can still be appealed.
According to the court, the attacker travelled from Vantaa to the college by bus carrying a 17-centimetre kitchen knife.
Before leaving home, he had spent the previous evening watching extremist material linked to Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, along with other violent videos. After arriving at the campus, he went into a toilet, hid the knife inside his sleeve and took a photograph of himself holding the weapon.
He then entered a common area on the third floor where students had gathered.
The court heard that he first kicked one 17-year-old student before making two stabbing motions towards the student’s side. The knife did not make contact.
He then turned to a second 17-year-old student, kicked him, swung the knife in his direction and pushed him against a table. However, the judges said there was not enough evidence to prove he intended to stab the second student.
Both teenagers managed to escape without being stabbed.
The attacker chased one of them through the building until members of staff stopped him in a stairwell. Security camera footage later showed him making a Nazi salute before voluntarily handing over the knife.
The court concluded that the attack was planned, unprovoked and driven by racial hatred.
A psychiatric examination found that the attacker understood his actions and was criminally responsible when the offence took place. Because the attack was motivated by racism, the judges ruled that it deserved a more serious sentence.
Investigators also recovered a manifesto from the attacker’s computer.
In the document, he expressed hatred towards immigrants, left-wing supporters, transgender people and gay people. He wrote that he wanted to injure or kill as many people as possible before surrendering to police. He also criticised the college, claiming it supported immigrants.
The court accepted that the manifesto showed he had thought about carrying out a larger attack involving students and staff.
However, prosecutors were unable to prove that he tried to carry out those wider plans on the day of the incident.
The prosecution had also accused the defendant of preparing a serious offence against life or health.
The judges dismissed that charge, saying there was not enough evidence to show he intended to attack more people after entering the college.
The court noted that he passed other students and staff during the incident but did not attempt to attack them. Judges also said it remained unclear whether he truly intended or was capable of carrying out the broader plan described in his writings.
As a result, the conviction was limited to the offences committed against the two students.
The defendant had no previous criminal convictions.
Although he received a two-year prison sentence, he has already spent about nine months in custody while waiting for trial. Under Finland’s sentencing rules for first-time offenders, that period exceeds the time he would normally be required to serve in prison.
As a result, he is expected to be released unless the sentence changes during the appeal process.
