Reception centre employee assaulted
An employee of the Paimio reception centre was assaulted while on a nightly round outside the centre. At around 3:50 in the morning on 21 February 2010, a 28-year-old male worker of the Finnish Red Cross reception centre in Paimio in the southwest of Finland noticed two men standing at the edge of the yard. When the worker asked the men to leave the premises, the men assaulted the worker, beating and kicking him.
As a result the night-duty worker fell to the ground. The assailants then fled the yard and ran across the Highway 110 towards the district of Huso.
The worker was taken to a hospital by an ambulance. He was discovered to having sustained various bodily injuries. At least his knee was more seriously damaged, as he is unable to move around without the aid of a walking stick.
The police suspects that the assailants were of Finnish origin. The police have no knowledge of the motives behind the attack. According to the police, no employees at the centre have previously been assaulted or threatened.
The centre, which temporarily houses applicants for asylum, was opened in November 2009 in a building that used to house a motel. The Paimio reception centre replaced the Suomussalmi centre, which has been closed down. The opening of the centre in Paimio was heavily criticised by the locals, who feared that property values in the area would plummet. The residents also expressed fears that the centre might attract criminal elements to the area.
The centre employs around 15 workers, and has the capacity to provide temporary accommodation to the maximum of 200 or so asylum-seekers.
Source: Helsingin Sanomat - International Edition: Paimio reception centre employee assaulted (23.2.2010) http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Paimio+reception+centre+employee+assaulted+/1135253175317
