Hannu Pikkarainen was convicted of rape in the Supreme Court. The ex-hockey player who spent his probationary period in Levi talks about his future plans.
Hannu Pikkarainen used to play ice hockey in HIFK, among others. Henri Kärkkäinen
The Supreme Court sentenced the ex-hockey player last April Hannu Pikkarainen for one year and nine months to absolute imprisonment. A former hockey defenseman raped a sleeping woman in Helsinki on June 14, 2020. Pikkarainen knew the victim beforehand. The crime took place at the woman’s apartment.
Pikkarainen got a six-month probationary release from Vilppula open prison in September of last year. He has spent his probationary period in Levi, Kittilä.
In his latest update, Hannu Pikkarainen says that he will be released in three weeks and plans to stay at Levi at least over the summer.
– It has been really difficult to sacrifice thoughts beyond that now. I need to calm down the whole package before I look further, he says.
Pikkarainen says that the biggest influence on staying in Lapland is the housing and work matters, which have now been sorted out.
– This week I received information that the current employer would like me to continue with them. Responsibility and role would slightly change and grow. It shows that I have done my job well, even though I have had such a “special situation”, he writes gratefully and says that he wants to continue working for the same employer.
However, living patterns are changing in Pikkarainen. He has found a new home for himself and his dog Ruby in a better location.
– It has a positive effect, especially on our free time, which is the most important thing for me, says the ex-athlete sharing photos of his ski runs.
You can see the update below or from here.
Pikkarainen was sentenced to two years of unconditional imprisonment in the Helsinki District Court in April 2022. The Helsinki Court of Appeal reduced the sentence in October 2023. The Court of Appeal’s sentence was one and a half years of conditional imprisonment. KKO ended up increasing the punishment to its current size in April 2025.
