Helsinki police killer denied parole again after 27 years

By admin On Aug 6, 2025

Steen Christensen at a district court hearing in February 1998. Photo: Matti Björkman / Lehtikuva

Danish national Steen Christensen, serving a life sentence for murdering two Finnish police officers in 1997, has been denied parole for the third time.

A court in Denmark, where he is imprisoned, issued the latest rejection. Christensen, now 60, has spent over 27 years in custody. His lawyer Janus Malcolm Pedersen said his record behind bars has been without incident.

Christensen was transferred to Denmark following his conviction. Under Danish law, the decision on his release rests with domestic authorities.

The double murder took place in central Helsinki in October 1997. Christensen, armed and wearing a disguise, robbed the Palace Hotel. Two officers, Antero Palo and Eero Holsti, arrived at the scene but were fatally shot before drawing their weapons.

Christensen admitted to both the robbery and killings during police questioning. He claimed the first shot was unintentional, but said he then chose to shoot the second officer. Both men died at the scene.

In 1998, a Finnish court sentenced Christensen to life imprisonment for two counts of murder and aggravated robbery. He was 32 at the time.

Before the Helsinki killings, Christensen had a lengthy criminal record in Denmark. He was convicted in the early 1990s of multiple bank robberies, hostage-taking, and rape. He was on unsupervised parole when he travelled to Finland instead of returning to prison.

The Finnish police union and the victims’ families have consistently opposed any early release. Christensen has now served the minimum time required for parole consideration under Danish rules, but authorities have again ruled that he should remain in prison.

Over 130 police officers have died in the line of duty in Finland since independence. Most of the deaths occurred between 1918 and 1944.

Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi