Epäilytetty

Epäilytetty is a Finnish adjective and past passive participle meaning “suspected” or “under suspicion.” It is used mainly in investigative and legal contexts to describe a person or matter that authorities have reason to consider potentially criminal, or that has been subjected to suspicion during an investigation. It does not mean guilt; it indicates a status to be resolved through inquiry or legal proceedings.

Etymology and grammar: The word derives from the verb epäillä, meaning “to suspect” or “to doubt,” together with the noun epäily, “suspicion,” and the participial suffix -tty, producing the meaning “that has been suspected.” In everyday language, epäilty is the more common noun for a suspect, while epäilytetty functions as a formal or written form highlighting that the suspicion has been formally recognized or articulated in the course of an inquiry. The term is typically used to describe people or actions that are under investigation and is distinct from verdicts such as syyllinen (guilty) or tuomittu (convicted).

Usage and nuance: In media reporting and official documents, epäilytetty may appear to stress the investigative status rather than the moral judgment of guilt. It can modify nouns such as henkilö (person) or tapaus (case), for example, epäilty henkilö or epäilytetty tapaus, though the everyday language often prefers epäilty rather than epäilytetty. The phrase should be understood as a formal descriptor within the progression from suspicion to legal resolution.

See also: epäilty, syyllinen, tuomittu, rikosoikeus.