” I have been ill-treated by society, and felt discouraged. It started already with the police in 2009, says Esa Teittinen when we meet on one of his visits in Stockholm, on why he wants to pursue a claim against the state.
When the Svea court of appeal acquitted the Esa Teittinen in september last year he had spent eight years and three months in prison falsely convicted of what has been perceived as a murder of the man who was found lifeless in his home in 2009.
struggling for several years to get a new trial, which is very difficult. He is one of six morddömda in Sweden that have been granted to get their cases tried again.
in recent months, much has changed in the Esa Teittinens life. Today, he lives in Finland on a farm in Pieksämäki, 35 miles north of Helsinki, with their five dogs and two cats. But he still has a lot of contact with Sweden, which he visits regularly.
” Life goes forward. I want to have activity both physically and mentally, and will do anything to put the wounds behind me, ” says Esa Teittinen.
He is in full swing to renovate the farm house on 20 acres that he bought of the Finnish church, something that he’s been able to do thanks to the compensation from the Swedish state. The church had activities on the farm for the alcohol addict and the Esa Teittinen has plans for a similar movement, though with a focus on older people, and even tourism.
– It is a large farm with several buildings located along a beautiful beach, ” he says.
and to do good for people, especially older people is important for Esa, and something he has with him since childhood. In the winter, he invited over 90 pensioners in the christmas celebration with food and entertainment to the farm.
– It is thanks to the elderly as Finland is an independent country, but it is a generation that is a bit forgotten today.
One of the reasons that he has returned to his native country, has to do with how he was treated by the Swedish authorities after appears in the fall, he got help with housing.
Esa Teittinen is also disappointed in the Correctional system as he felt that he did not get any support, either when he worked for his stature or to prepare for a life outside of the prison. It is also one of the reasons that he is now proceeding with his lawsuit against the Chancellor of justice (JK).
” I want to stimulate debate and to show how it works within the Correctional system. There are very beautiful words but you do nothing to help the inmates. The system is structured for you to feel bad and come back. There is no ”care”, he says.
Photo: Eva Tedesjö
8.250.000 crowns in compensation for suffering and a million dollars in lost earnings. In total, he had requested for compensation of 25 million, of which sek 21 million for the suffering.
Both the Esa and his lawyer Marko Tuhkanen said when JK announced the damages awarded in april this year, the compensation for the suffering was too low. JK had not taken the ”abuse” of the state committed against the Esa Teittinen, or taking into account that the police cheated and hid away important evidence, they say.
Esa Teittinen compare also with the case of Joy Rahman, although he was convicted wrongly of a murder and then released. Rahman received 10.2 million kronor in damages.
– Joy Rahman was in jail, a bit less than me but got a couple of million more in lidandeersättning. In addition, it was a long time ago so the value of money is less today, ” says Esa Tiettinen.
want to go ahead with a lawsuit. If he loses the case, he risks to have to pay the costs, which can be significant. But Esa Tiettinen still think it is worth the risk.
” Absolutely.” I do not think that the CHANCELLOR has understood how it has gone with the work of the police and everything. But I hope that we shall reach an amicable solution before we end up in the right. Both sides should be happy, ” he says.
According to the solicitor Marko Tuhkanen can the mood be ready to be submitted to the district court sometime in the summer.
Read more: Esa Teittinen if the judgment is: Shocked and disappointed
