Do all criminal cases lead to a trial?

No, they don’t. In some cases, criminal investigations may be concluded already during the preliminary investigation, for example if the crimes are considered to be minor and there is not a possibility to appoint resources to its investigation of the offender cannot be identified.

The preliminary investigation may also be interrupted if it is a crime, where the prosecution rests with the plaintiff, and the victim does not require punishment. Crimes in which the prosecution rests with the plaintiff are usually minor crimes, where the victim has the power to decide whether the case will proceed to court. Exceptions are such crimes where prosecution rests with the plaintiff, if it is considered that general interest requires pressing charges.

As a result of the consideration of charges, the prosecutor may decide not to prosecute, in which case the case is also not handled in court. It can be based on being a minor crime, lack of evidence or the crime may have expired as a criminal case.

The victim of crime has the possibility of using his/her so-called secondary right of prosecution and personally taking the case to court to be settled. In this case the victim is also subject to a larger risk of costs. If he/she loses the case, he/she may be liable to pay both his/her own attorney costs and the defendant’s attorney costs. Before using your own prosecution right, you should consult a legally trained professional.

For example, Victim Support Finland’s legal advice can be contacted for more information .