Steen Christensen
Encyclopedia
Steen Viktor Christensen (born 1964) is a Danish
criminal, who was sentenced in Denmark in 1992 to twelve years in prison for numerous bank robberies
, hostage taking
, and rape
. In autumn 1997 Christensen was allowed to go on an unguarded holiday, during which he escaped to Finland
.
On 22 October 1997 Christensen robbed the Hotel Palace in Helsinki
, and during his escape from the hotel, he shot two police
officers, Eero Holsti and Antero Palo, on Tehtaankatu. The incident caused a spectacular chase in Finland. Christensen was caught in Hämeenlinna
, when he was leaving the Hotel Vaakuna. He had been living in the hotel under the name Kim Anderssen. Christensen said the motive for his robbery had been lack of money.
On trial at the Helsinki district court, Christensen was assisted by the lawyer Aarno Arvela. Christensen immediately pleaded guilty for two murders and announced that he did not want to complain about his sentence.
Despite his protests, Christensen was sent to mental health
examination in the Niuvanniemi mental hospital. He spent 21 days in the hospital, after which the examination was cancelled. The reason for this was Christensen's refusal to undergo any kind of psychological tests or examinations. Despite the cancellation of the examination, the Finnish judicial centre of health care (TEO) made a statement about Christensen's mental health. According to the statement, Christensen acted out of full reason and was a dangerous repeat offender.
Christensen was sentenced to life imprisonment
, and is serving it at the Herstedvester
prison in Denmark. He was also sentenced to pay the families of the police officers he killed, the state treasury, and the watchman at the Hotel Palace a total of almost 275 000 Finnish mark
(about 46 300 euro
) and to pay a life support of 3873 Finnish mark (about 651.40 euro) per month to one underaged child. The sum consists mainly of family pensions and compensation for mental suffering. As well as the costs for the biggest criminal chase ever in Finland, the state had to pay the trial costs of over 62 500 Finnish mark (about 10 500 euro).
The reporter Matts Dumell
interviewed Christensen in the Hämeenlinna
prison four days before he was transferred to Denmark. The interview was shown in the Rikosraportti program on Nelonen
.
The incident led to a great deal of discussion in Denmark about what kind of prisoners, and under what conditions, should be allowed to go on vacation from prison.
In prison, Christensen married a Finnish woman in 2000 who gave birth to their child.
The Herstedvester prison, which houses some of Denmark's most dangerous criminals, has special arrangements specifically to prevent Christensen from escaping. Because of this, the Danish Ministry of Justice gave a separate fund of four million Danish kroner (about 500 000 €) to prepare the prison before Christensen was transferred to Herstedvester.
The Finnish rap musician Seppo Lampela originally chose Steen Christensen as his artist name, but changed it to Steen1
after getting his first record deal, because of too much controversy.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
criminal, who was sentenced in Denmark in 1992 to twelve years in prison for numerous bank robberies
Bank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
, hostage taking
Hostage crisis
A hostage crisis develops when one or more terrorists or criminals hold people against their will and try to hold off the authorities by force, threatening to kill the hostages if provoked or attacked....
, and rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
. In autumn 1997 Christensen was allowed to go on an unguarded holiday, during which he escaped to Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
On 22 October 1997 Christensen robbed the Hotel Palace in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, and during his escape from the hotel, he shot two police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
officers, Eero Holsti and Antero Palo, on Tehtaankatu. The incident caused a spectacular chase in Finland. Christensen was caught in Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the...
, when he was leaving the Hotel Vaakuna. He had been living in the hotel under the name Kim Anderssen. Christensen said the motive for his robbery had been lack of money.
On trial at the Helsinki district court, Christensen was assisted by the lawyer Aarno Arvela. Christensen immediately pleaded guilty for two murders and announced that he did not want to complain about his sentence.
Despite his protests, Christensen was sent to mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
examination in the Niuvanniemi mental hospital. He spent 21 days in the hospital, after which the examination was cancelled. The reason for this was Christensen's refusal to undergo any kind of psychological tests or examinations. Despite the cancellation of the examination, the Finnish judicial centre of health care (TEO) made a statement about Christensen's mental health. According to the statement, Christensen acted out of full reason and was a dangerous repeat offender.
Christensen was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
, and is serving it at the Herstedvester
The Institution of Herstedvester
The Institution of Herstedvester is a closed prison in Herstedvester, Denmark, for treatment under the Danish Prison and Probation Service. It houses convicted felons and in some cases also people with custody rulings in need of psychiatric assistance and observation.Herstedvester was built in...
prison in Denmark. He was also sentenced to pay the families of the police officers he killed, the state treasury, and the watchman at the Hotel Palace a total of almost 275 000 Finnish mark
Finnish mark
The Finnish markka was the currency of Finland from 1860 until 28 February 2002, when it ceased to be legal tender. The markka was replaced by the euro , which had been introduced, in cash form, on 1 January 2002....
(about 46 300 euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
) and to pay a life support of 3873 Finnish mark (about 651.40 euro) per month to one underaged child. The sum consists mainly of family pensions and compensation for mental suffering. As well as the costs for the biggest criminal chase ever in Finland, the state had to pay the trial costs of over 62 500 Finnish mark (about 10 500 euro).
The reporter Matts Dumell
Matts Dumell
Matts Dumell is a Finnish journalist who was convicted of spying for the Soviet Union. He worked at YLE before his arrest.He was arrested by the Finnish Security Police. He received an eight month suspended prison sentence for treason in 1983....
interviewed Christensen in the Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the...
prison four days before he was transferred to Denmark. The interview was shown in the Rikosraportti program on Nelonen
Nelonen
Nelonen is a Finnish commercial TV channel. It started out as Helsinki's local television channel PTV in 1989 on the HTV cable network, which name was changed first to PTV4 and then to Nelonen. It started on June 1, 1997. Nelonen, in Finnish, means the glyph of the number four. The channel is...
.
The incident led to a great deal of discussion in Denmark about what kind of prisoners, and under what conditions, should be allowed to go on vacation from prison.
In prison, Christensen married a Finnish woman in 2000 who gave birth to their child.
The Herstedvester prison, which houses some of Denmark's most dangerous criminals, has special arrangements specifically to prevent Christensen from escaping. Because of this, the Danish Ministry of Justice gave a separate fund of four million Danish kroner (about 500 000 €) to prepare the prison before Christensen was transferred to Herstedvester.
The Finnish rap musician Seppo Lampela originally chose Steen Christensen as his artist name, but changed it to Steen1
Steen1
Steen1 is a Finnish rap musician. He originally chose the name Steen Christensen, after the Danish criminal who shot two Finnish policemen in 1997, as his moniker, but changed it due to controversy.In 2004 Steen1 released his debut album entitled Salaliittoteoria...
after getting his first record deal, because of too much controversy.
External links
- MTV3 Uutiset 22 October 1997: Helsingin poliisisurman tekijää etsitään yhä
- MTV3 Uutiset 24 October 1997: Poliisisurmaajan etsintää jatketaan
- MTV3 Uutiset 25 October 1997: Tanskalaisviranomaiset eivät uskoneet Christensenin vaarallisuuteen
- MTV3 Uutiset 26 October 1997: Christensen kertoi surmayön tapahtimista
- MTV3 Uutiset 28 October 1997: Christensen vangittiin suljetuin ovin
- MTV3 Uutiset 7 May 1998: Christensenille elinkautinen
- YLE/Elävä arkisto: Steen Christensen - poliisisurmat 1997