Probe into Hatanpää 'Blessing' Assault Closed After Victim Declines to Press Charges
Police closed a preliminary assault investigation into a December 'blessing' incident at Hatanpää School after the victim declined to press charges; the suspects were under 15.
The investigation, opened after a family filed a police report following a December incident at Hatanpää School in Tampere, concluded in January 2026, YLE reports. The suspects were under 15. No charges were brought.
The online 'blessing' trend typically marks a fresh haircut. At Hatanpää, however, the practice reportedly included slaps to the back of the head or the arm. A relative told YLE a pupil had been held and struck repeatedly. After the family filed a report, authorities investigated the incident as assault. Police said by email that no similar reports have surfaced from the school since the preliminary investigation ended.
The case comes amid other recent youth- and school-related police probes in Tampere, including families' complaints about Tampere Steiner School and a 2026 TikTok-linked investigation into sexual offences.
Earlier coverage
Catch the full story over at YLE
