syyttäminen

Syyttäminen is a Finnish term that refers to the act of accusing someone of a fault or crime. In everyday language it can mean blaming or reproaching a person for something, and in a legal context it denotes the formal process of charging someone with an offense. The word is derived from syy, meaning fault or reason, with the suffix -ttäminen forming a nominalization of the verb syyttää (to accuse or blame).

In the legal sphere, syyttäminen describes the decision to bring formal charges against a person. After a police or investigative authority has gathered evidence, the public prosecutor may file charges (nostaa syyte) or, in certain offenses, a private party may initiate a private prosecution (yksityissyyte). The person named in the charges is called the syytetty (defendant). The charges are formalized in a syyte (indictment or charge), and the case proceeds to a court hearing (oikeudenkäynti). The burden of proof rests on the prosecution, and verdicts are guided by the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Syyttäminen can thus refer to both the formal criminal process and, more broadly, to social or moral blaming. In legal terms, being accused does not equal guilt; the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court, and may be acquitted if the evidence does not establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The term captures the transition from allegation to adjudication within the Finnish justice system.