In May 2023, a 38-year-old man perpetrated a sexual assault on a 14-year-old girl in Helsinki's Mellunmäki area. The attack occurred in a wooded area between a metro station and a school after the man met the two girls in the metro and lured them into the woods with promises of cigarettes and money. The assailant offered the victim 30 euros in exchange for sexual acts, leading to a traumatic incident that deeply affected the young girl.

After the assault, the victim, visibly distressed, confided in her father about the incident later that evening. Concerned for his daughter's safety, her father searched the area and discovered her phone in the woods where the crime took place. The following day, despite the girl seeking medical attention, it was too late to obtain DNA evidence from the assailant due to the time elapsed since the incident.

The perpetrator was apprehended just two days later when he sent messages to the girl he had previously assaulted, again proposing sex for compensation. This time, the girls decided to respond to his messages in an effort to ensure that he would be caught by law enforcement. Their actions helped lead to the man's arrest, highlighting the importance of support from family and friends in such traumatic situations and the legal system's proactive response to sexual violence cases.