avunantaminen

Avunantaminen is a term used in Finnish criminal law to denote the act of assisting another person to commit a crime. It is a form of participation (osallistuminen) in criminal activity. The essential elements are: a crime is planned or committed; the defendant deliberately provides aid to the offender; the aid is intended to facilitate the crime and contributes to its execution or increases the likelihood of its success; and the defendant is aware that their actions will facilitate the criminal activity.

The scope of liability depends on the degree of involvement and the seriousness of the underlying offense. A person can be punished for avunantaminen even if the principal offender is not convicted, and the punishment is typically proportionate to the underlying offense and the extent of the assistance.

Withdrawal from the plan before the crime is carried out may, depending on the jurisdiction, limit liability if effective and timely communication of withdrawal prevents the crime.

Examples include providing tools or means to commit a theft, acting as a lookout, helping to plan the crime, or supplying information or instructions that substantially facilitate the act, such as advising on how to bypass security or evade detection.

Avunantaminen is distinguished from direct perpetration by the absence of the offender's sole criminal intent to commit the offense; the key factor is the intentional assistance that meaningfully contributes to the crime.