Grieving colleague of tragic Finnish MP gives heartbreaking insight into lead up to his suicide after body was found in parliament building's stairway
SDP MP Eemeli Peltonen, 30, died in the parliament building yesterday at around 11am.
The first-term representative was elected to parliament in 2023, and was a member of its Administrative Committee and Legal Committee, as well as a city councillor of Järvenpää and the chairman of the city board.
He took his own life just weeks after revealing serious health struggles.
Now, the chairwoman of the SDP parliamentary group, Tytti Tuppurainen, said his suicide was related to his illness.
She told Finnish broadcaster YTE: 'The fact that he decided to leave us specifically in Parliament was, however, more related to his illness and the suffering that came with it, from which he saw no other way out than to enter eternal rest.'
Mika Hari, another SDP MP who worked with Peltonen, said: 'I immediately noticed his enthusiasm for social issues. It was great to later work with him in Parliament.'
In June, Peltonen revealed on social media that he was receiving treatment for kidney problems and had taken a few weeks off his parliamentary duties to recover at home.
But he later revealed that he had contracted a bacterial infection while being treated.
He said prior to his death: 'To control the bacteria, I was started on an intravenous antibiotic course in [hospital], which will take time. At the same time, treatment for my kidney problems will continue.'
Police investigating the incident reportedly do not suspect foul play, while paramedics were also at the scene. Emergency services are said to have received a call at 11.06am on Tuesday.
Finnish broadcaster Yle reported that at least one ambulance, a firetruck and two police vehicles were present at the Parliament Building.
One person who works nearby told the outlet: 'Ambulances drove behind the Parliament Building with their whistles blaring. Then a full-size fire truck, a police car and, with a slight delay, an armored police Mercedes also drove there.'
Security Director Aaro Toivonen neither confirmed nor denied the initial reports, instead telling local media: 'There is a mission underway, with rescue authorities, police and emergency services on site. I cannot say more than that at this stage.
'I can't say what the emergency response from the emergency center has been. Parliament is a bit of an exceptional site, so one could imagine that such things have been considered when the situation has been unclear.'
Peltonen was elected to parliament in 2023 with nearly 6,000 votes. He began his political career at just 18 after being elected to his local city council with 153 votes.
At just 22 he became the chairman of his city's council, the youngest person to hold the position.
He graduated from the University of Helsinki in 2020 with a Master's degree in Political Science.
Sofia Nevalainen, a fellow city council member, wrote in a post to her Instagram: 'You were my everything. I will always love you.'
She and Peltonen were pictured several times on each others social media accounts.
Finland's PM Petteri Orpo said the ministerial group of the Coalition Party, the ruling party, would 'stop talking about politics' for a time in response to the tragedy.
He added: 'We received some really shocking news some time ago from Parliament, our shared workplace, that one of our colleagues has passed away on Parliament premises. Really sad news.'
Jussi Halla-aho, the speaker of Finland's parliament, said of Peltonen's passing: 'On behalf of the Parliament, I express my condolences to the family and loved ones of Representative Peltonen.
'Peltonen was a well-liked and respected colleague across party lines.'
Finland's parliament is currently in recess, with the autumn session set to begin on September 2.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
14 minutes ago
- BBC News
Woman took her own life on skydive in Shotton Colliery
A 32-year-old woman who died while skydiving took her own life, an inquest has manager Jade Damarell died after crashing on to farmland near Fleming Field in Shotton Colliery, County Durham on 27 inquest in Crook heard she was a "very experienced skydiver" but had made no attempt to deploy either her main or reserve coroner Dr Leslie Hamilton concluded that on the "balance of probabilities" she intended to take her own life and recorded a verdict of suicide. Resuming the inquest, Dr Hamilton said the sport was one of Ms Damarell's inquest heard weather conditions on the day of her death were good.A helmet camera, which she had previously used while carrying out jumps, was not used on the day of her Damarell, who lived in Caerphilly, in Wales, died as a result of "blunt trauma", a previous post-mortem examination at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Newcastle you've been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Sun
43 minutes ago
- The Sun
Skydiver, 32, took own life by jumping 10,000ft from plane just hours after she broke up with boyfriend
A SKYDIVER took her own life by jumping 10,000ft from a plane just hours after breaking up with her boyfriend, an inquest heard today. Jade Damarell, 32, died instantly after hitting the ground in Peterlee, County Durham, without her chute opening. 5 5 Her skydiving club, Sky-High Skydiving, later said the horror appeared to be 'a deliberate act'. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing or negligence by the skydiving centre. Coroner Dr Leslie Hamilton today ruled Jade's death as a suicide. The inquest heard she had ended her relationship with boyfriend Ben Goodfellow on the night before she died. On April 27, she was seen eating breakfast at 8.30am - around an hour and a half before the fatal jump. Jade, who had completed more than 400 jumps, hit the ground at Wrefords' Farm without a helmet, the court heard. Her provisional cause of Jade's death was listed as "blunt trauma". A previous inquest hearing was told there was 'no reason to suspect equipment failure'. Nigel Wreford, 56, who works on farm nearby, previously said: 'I've been told by quite a few people that she knew what she was doing — she had apparently left a suicide note.' While a friend said at the time: 'This wasn't an accident. We believe she intended to take her life, sadly." Durham Constabulary confirmed the Jade's death was not being treated as suspicious. Jade studied marketing at university in Leeds before marrying solicitor James Damarell in 2019. It was previously reported they lived in Yorkshire but are believed to have separated, with Jade later moving into rented accommodation used skydivers in Peterlee. Jade's family paid tribute following her death and called her a "brilliant, beautiful, brave and truly extraordinary person". They said professionally, she was "exceptionally talented" and had found "freedom and purpose" with her skydiving. How to get help EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, 0800 585 858 Heads Together, HUMEN Mind, 0300 123 3393 Papyrus, 0800 068 41 41 Samaritans, 116 123 The family added: "A bright, adventurous, free spirit, she lived with immense energy, passion, and love, and touched countless lives with her warmth and kindness. "We miss her beyond words but Jade's love, brilliance, courage, and light will live on in our family and among all those who knew and loved her. 'Some stars are so bright they burn through their time too quickly – but their light never truly fades. 'We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone in the emergency services and the local first responders as well as the skydiving community. Your care and compassion mean more to us than we can express. 'Lastly, if you are struggling, please reach out. Talk to someone – a friend, loved one, or professional. You are never alone." If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123. 5 5 5
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Rapid overhaul of Australia's environment laws among flurry of pledges from productivity roundtable
Labor will introduce to parliament a long-awaited overhaul to national environmental laws before Christmas, after an expedited process was agreed upon at the economic reform roundtable. The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said the three-day event had agreed the environment minister, Murray Watt, should proceed more quickly than a planned 18-month timeline. It was one of a flurry of announcements, including progress on road user charging for electric vehicles and a longer-term process to consider major tax reform. Labor had agreed on a deal with the Greens to pass changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act – including the creation of a national environment protection agency – at the end of 2024. But the plan was scuttled by Anthony Albanese over concerns from electorally sensitive Western Australia. Sign up: AU Breaking News email Chalmers said more detail on the new timeline would be forthcoming soon. The changes being considered would focus on stronger standards, faster approvals and more transparency, he said. Stakeholders expect progress from Watt by Christmas. 'He's [Watt] made a heap of progress, and it feels like that hard work that he's put into it is bearing fruit,' Chalmers said. Almost five years have passed since Graeme Samuel handed his review of the EPBC Act to the Morrison government, exposing how the systemic failures of successive governments had left Australia's unique species in unsustainable decline. Labor has pledged to speed up project approvals, including cutting cumbersome regulations. Similar moves are planned on housing developments, through the National Construction Code and work to progress a backlog of tens of thousands of applications. A mooted pause on changes to the code did not eventuate, with the housing minister, Clare O'Neil, instead charged with reducing complexity around the rules. The shift to electric vehicles around Australia is costing the budget due to falling fuel excise. Chalmers said a new system of road user charging for EV drivers represented 'an idea whose time has come'. State treasurers will meet in early September to discuss an options paper, after delay from national cabinet since 2023, following the high court's decision to overturn rules put in place by Victoria. Chalmers said there was healthy consensus on solving the problem, even if a final model was not settled. He said there was division on whether a new scheme should be introduced through a phased-in approach or a swifter model. Participants in the roundtable talks considered tax reform options on Thursday. They agreed another lengthy external review of the tax system would not be advantageous, and instead Treasury will work on options, with some external consultation. Change could focus on intergenerational fairness in the system, incentivising business investment rules to promote growth and making the system simpler. In recent days, Chalmers and Albanese had sought to downplay expectations the event could lead to major tax reform in this term of parliament. Chalmers indicated future changes were possible, but disagreed the talks at Parliament House represented a mandate for the government to act. 'I think our tax system is imperfect, and one of its most troubling imperfections is best seen through intergenerational lens,' Chalmers said. Chalmers announced 10 areas of consensus on immediate reform directions for Labor's second term, covering a huge span of policy priorities – such as simplified processes for trade, better regulations and better recognition of workers' skills and qualifications. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Currently tens of thousands of skilled migrants are working below their qualification level in Australia, with barriers even present across state and territory boundaries. Longer term reforms include more changes to foreign investment rules, a move to more prefabricated and modular housing and new rules for AI. The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, will consider copyright law reform options and guidelines for the technology's application in the public service. Business groups praised the 'constructive' roundtable process, and said they were ready to continue to work with the government to progress the priorities identified by the treasurer. 'It's been a very productive three days,' Bran Black, the chief executive of the Business Council of Australia, said. 'It's easy to be cynical: that not much was achieved, or we should have done more. We've started on a pathway of making Australia a better place to work and to invest. 'There's a lot of work to be done around tax. There's recognition that we need to make our tax system work better for business, and we'll get down and do the hard work to achieve that.' Andrew McKellar, the chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, 'we want to see the government developing an ambitious agenda for reform that will drive productivity and economic growth in the years ahead'. 'They've taken a very consultative approach to this. We appreciate that, and we want to continue forward in the spirit that we've had in the past three days.' Employer groups had entered into the roundtable meetings with some fears of a repeat of Labor's jobs and skills summit in September 2022, which they believe was cover for the newly elected Albanese government to introduce major workplace reforms. Innes Willox, the head of the Industry Australia Group, said: 'I still have nightmares' about that summit. 'This was a totally different process, a totally different feel and vibe,' Willox said. 'There was a very clear commitment from the government to get consensus where it could, agreement where it could and understandings where it could – to bring everyone together.' Sally McManus, the secretary of the ACTU, said while there were clear differences within the cabinet room, 'in the end there was a lot of common ground' around the need for smart regulation of AI. 'None of us want to see AI used in a way that's going to destroy jobs. None of us want to see AI leading to theft, as is happening now, of the work of creatives and journalists and also academics.'
