Psykoterapikeskus Vastaamo recently discovered that some former patients were victims of a data breach.
It is still possible for victims of the Psychotherapy Center Vastamo data breach to claim compensation.
Advocate on behalf of victims Jenny Ryskio Länsi-Uusimaa District Court says it handed down the sentence on Tuesday Alexandre Kivimaki Jailed for six years and three months, compensation claims are still being processed.
– This judgment shall not affect the processing of compensation claims of the victims, whatever they may be. It will run its course and we will continue our work. We believe that Kivimegi will appeal his conviction, so parties involved in the criminal process should submit their claims to the District Court until then.
Kiwimaki was convicted of, among other things, a mass data breach and thousands of mass threat attempts. The ruling is not legally binding and Kiwimegi intends to appeal to the Court of Appeal.
According to the district court, Kivimegi hacked Vastamo’s information system, downloaded the patient database from there and then released the information of a total of about 33,000 people. 24,000 of those victims filed criminal reports.
Some only recently discovered they were victims
Some of Vastamo’s former patients recently learned that they were the victims of a data breach because some of the victims either ignored the blackmail message or didn’t understand what it was.
The State Attorney’s Office recently sent a letter to those who were sent a threatening email message by a data breach perpetrator in the fall of 2020, but who did not file a criminal complaint. There are about 9,600 such persons.
– Jenny Ryskio insists that they also have the opportunity to claim compensation in this case.
The investigation and trial of the case took a total of three and a half years. Ryskio represented nearly three thousand victims.
– We have already agreed with Kivimaki’s lawyer a significant number of compensation claims of our clients. Those requirements are confidential, but we are talking about thousands of euros. At the moment, however, it appears that the State Treasury, which uses the Criminal Damages Act, is paying. It has its own structure and can pay for any crime.
According to Raiskio, lawyers have held meetings with the state treasury on how to smoothen and start the compensation process as soon as possible.
– Our hope is that it will start in the fall, but nothing is locked.
According to Ryskio, the victims are relieved by the verdict and have already been able to agree on compensation and the matter is moving to the state treasury.
– These kinds of things start the ultimate healing. At least that’s what they told me.
Raiskio says more interested parties appear all the time. He also has a message for victims who are not currently involved in the process.
– Everyone still has a chance to claim compensation in this case. No one has lost their rights even though there has been no reaction in the matter so far.
Yle’s crime reporter Päivi Happonen explains in a video about compensation for victims in Vastamo:
