Man Sentenced to Five Years for Aggravated Rape of 17-Year-Old in Helsinki
The Helsinki District Court has sentenced 29-year-old George-Cosmin Silagyi to five years in prison for the aggravated rape of a 17-year-old girl in April 2025. The court also ordered Silagyi to pay the victim €27,600 in compensation for pain, suffering, and psychological harm, as well as over €8,000 for therapy and legal costs (Iltalehti).
The assault occurred in the early hours of the morning as the victim was walking from Pukinmäki train station toward a bus stop after attending a friend’s birthday party. According to Ilta-Sanomat, the girl was speaking on the phone with her boyfriend when Silagyi began following her. He grabbed her from behind, placed his hand around her neck, and threw her phone away after she screamed for help.
The attacker then dragged the victim into a secluded area, where he forcibly kissed and touched her before threatening to kill her if she made noise. He later led her deeper into a wooded area and raped her in multiple ways. After the assault, Silagyi left the scene, telling the girl he did not care if she reported him to the police (Ilta-Sanomat).
The victim managed to escape and flagged down a taxi, which took her to a police patrol stationed near an S-market. Despite an immediate search of the area, authorities did not locate the perpetrator at the time. Ten days later, police released a surveillance image of the suspect, prompting Silagyi to flee Finland out of fear of recognition (Iltalehti).
Silagyi was later arrested in December 2025 under a European Arrest Warrant after being extradited temporarily from France for the trial. During police questioning, he claimed to have no memory of the events due to heavy alcohol consumption but admitted to having sexual intercourse with the victim, as forensic evidence—including his DNA—made denial impossible. The court found the victim’s testimony consistent and credible, with additional evidence, such as her belongings, matching her account (Ilta-Sanomat).
Extradition and Sentence Enforcement
Silagyi will not serve his sentence in Finland. Instead, he is set to be returned to France by July, where he is already in pre-trial detention for an unrelated serious crime. The enforcement of his Finnish prison term will depend on an agreement between Finnish and French authorities (Iltalehti).
The verdict is not yet final, as Silagyi has appealed the ruling. The case highlights the challenges of cross-border legal proceedings, particularly in ensuring the convicted individual faces consequences for his crimes.
