One Year After Ratina Stabbing, Crisis Worker Says Recovery Varies
A year after the Ratina mass stabbing, victims and the city still struggle with anxiety and uncertainty, and one victim says she continues to recover physically and psychologically.
YLE reports that a year after a 23-year-old man randomly stabbed three women and one man outside the Ratina shopping centre in Tampere in July, victims and the wider city are still struggling with anxiety and a shaken sense of safety. One of the victims, Sussu Ketola, told the broadcaster she is still recovering. She returned to the exact spot outside Ratina a year after the attack and said, “They said on the news that one victim was still in hospital – that was me.”
Ketola describes being stabbed four or five times with wounds to her right shoulder, chest, biceps, the back of her hand and near her shoulder blade. A tendon in her hand was cut and she was initially unable to lift her little finger. She says she still feels fear in crowds but has felt relief after receiving medication and has begun eye‑movement therapy for traumatic memories.
Taru Nyström of the Pirkanmaa Mental Health Association, who works in crisis services, says sudden public violence commonly undermines basic safety and can trigger anxiety, sleep and concentration problems; nightmares sometimes appear weeks later. Rumours and intense media coverage can amplify unease and lead some people to avoid public places, while collective support and memorials can strengthen community bonds.
Nyström says quick access to professional talk therapy and practical help from friends and health services is crucial. Simple offers, such as doing shopping or staying overnight, can help restore everyday security. Recovery times vary: many see symptoms ease within 1–3 months and return to most routines after several months, but some take more than a year. Avoidance or using alcohol and drugs to cope will likely worsen recovery, she warns.
The anniversary comes as the city has expanded neighbourhood street outreach to strengthen community safety the city's recent street outreach expansion.
Court papers identify the suspect as 24; he was arrested within minutes. Charges include two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of attempted murder. According to reporting, he denied attempted murder but admitted the attacks as attempted homicide; the court ordered a psychiatric evaluation and an exceptional dangerousness assessment before a final verdict.
Earlier coverage
Catch the full story over at YLE
