Support services for survivors of violence or abuse
Have you experienced violence or abuse? Even a single experience can affect your health and wellbeing. Violence in intimate relationships, in particular, is often recurrent. Help is available to process experiences of violence or abuse and to break free from recurring mistreatment. Some of the support services listed on this page are available nationwide, while others are specific to individual municipalities.
Victim Support Finland
Victim Support Finland (RIKU) offers assistance, information, and support in the criminal justice process and recovery from crime. You can contact the Victim Support Finland hotline already before filing a police report. The services are free of charge and are available to anyone who has experienced violence.
Victim Support Finland also offers a separate service for those who have experienced human trafficking or other forms of exploitation. Such situations include, for example, labor exploitation, sexual exploitation, coercion into criminal activity, forced marriage, or other acts that violate human dignity.
Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English; interpreter available
Click here to visit the Victim Support Finland website.
Seri Support Centers
The Seri Support Center is a support unit for all people over 16 years of age, regardless of gender, who have experienced sexual violence. There are support centers throughout Finland.
Click here to visit the Seri Support Center website.
Nollalinja
The professionals in work against violence who are on call at Nollalinja, a nationwide free helpline, provide round-the-clock support to anyone who has experienced domestic violence.
Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English; interpretation available during calls: Arabic, Dari, Spanish, Farsi, Somali, Sorani, Thai, Ukrainian, Russian
Click here to visit the Nollalinja website.
MONIKA – Multicultural Women’s Association, Finland
The Crisis Center Monika offers low-threshold support services to women who have experienced violence or a threat of violence. These services are specifically designed for women with an immigrant background. Shelter Mona provides crisis support and safe housing at a shelter located at a confidential address, intended exclusively for women and children.
The Shelter Mona is open every day, around the clock.
Languages: the service is available in several languages, and an interpreter is also available
Click here to visit the Monika Women’s Association website.
Miessakit Association
Miessakit Association offers support for men who have experienced mental or physical violence at home or on the streets.
Languages: Finnish, English
Click here to visit the Miessakit Association website.
FRC Nettiturvis service
Nettiturvis offers free-of-charge online counseling to young people aged 12–29 and their loved ones.
Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English; interpreter available
Click here to visit the Nettiturvis website.
Suvanto ry, for safety at old age
Suvanto helps the elderly who are victims of abuse and violence. Support is available to all parties in a situation involving violence.
Languages: Finnish
Click here to visit Suvanto's website.
Raiskauskriisikeskus Tukinainen
Raiskauskriisikeskus Tukinainen is a rape crisis center that offers support, assistance, and counseling to victims of sexual crimes and their loved ones.
Languages: Finnish, English
Pellas Shelter
Located in Espoo, the Pellas Shelter offers support and safe accommodation to anyone who has experienced domestic violence or a threat of violence, regardless of gender or age. You can also come to the shelter with your children. The shelter is open 24 hours a day, and its services are free of charge.
Go to the Pellas Shelter website
Villa Familia Shelter
Located in Karis, Villa Familia Shelter for speakers of both Finnish and Swedish offers support and safe accommodation to anyone who has experienced domestic violence or a threat of violence, regardless of gender or age. You can also come to the shelter with your children. The shelter is open 24 hours a day, and its services are free of charge.
Go to the Villa Familia shelter’s website
Omatila: Community-based services in cases of violence in close relationships
Omatila, located in Espoo, offers support and assistance in breaking free from violence experienced in intimate relationships and recovering from it. We offer both individual sessions and peer support groups. You can also visit Omatila without an appointment.
Girls’ House
At the Girls' House, you can participate in recreational activities and hobbies, and receive personalized support if you are facing a difficult life situation or a crisis. The Girls’ House also offers sexual counseling and support for recovering from sexual violence. Sopu work provides support during crises and conflicts related to family honor.
Pääkaupungin turvakoti ry
Domestic Violence Unit
The Domestic Violence Unit offers support to both children and adults in coping with domestic violence and ending the abuse. We offer individual sessions, couples sessions, family sessions, and support groups. You can book an appointment online, by email, or by phone.
Languages: Finnish, English; interpreter available
Click here to visit the Pääkaupungin turvakoti shelter association’s webpages on domestic violence.
Shelters
The shelters run by the Pääkaupungin turvakoti ry association provide immediate crisis assistance, 24-hour secure housing, and psychosocial support, counseling, and guidance. At the shelter, those who have experienced violence can speak privately with a staff member who specializes in addressing violence. You can come to the shelter with your children.
Click here to visit the Pääkaupungin turvakoti association’s webpages.
Languages: Finnish, English; interpreter available
SafetyNet Helsinki
SafetyNet Helsinki is part of the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL) and offers personalized assistance and support, as well as peer support activities, to anyone who has experienced violence within their family or in a close relationship.
Languages: Finnish, English
Click here to visit the SafetyNet Helsinki website.
Seri Support Center, Women’s Hospital
The Seri Support Center at Women's Hospital is a support unit for people over 16 years of age, regardless of gender, who have experienced sexual violence. We offer a low-threshold service that you can seek out yourself, with relatives or under the guidance of a public authority within a month of your traumatic experience.
Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English; interpreter available
Click here to visit the Seri Support Center website.
Finnish Red Cross Youth Shelter
The youth shelter offers temporary housing, counseling to help with life’s challenges and crises, and support for starting an independent life.
Click here to visit the Youth Shelter webpage.
Languages: Finnish, English; interpreter available
Boys’ House
The Boys’ House operated by the City of Helsinki is a safe community, free from discrimination and bullying, for boys and men aged 10–28, as well as anyone reflecting on what it means to be a boy. At the Boys' House, you’ll find a place to reflect on your own growth, make new friends, get support for life's challenges, and engage in meaningful activities in a safe environment.
At the Boys’ House clinic for sexual health and sexual violence, you can talk about dating, sex, sexuality, and any mistreatment you have experienced; also anonymously. You can also get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea and pick up some condoms.
Languages: Finnish, English
Click here to visit the Boys' House website.
Girls’ House
The Girls' House, run by Loisto-setlementti ry, is open to anyone aged 10–29 who identifies as a girl or woman, or who is exploring their identity as a girl. At Girls’ House, you can participate in recreational activities and hobbies, and receive personalized support if you’re going through a difficult life situation or a crisis. The Girls’ House also offers sexual counseling and support for recovering from sexual violence.
Languages: Finnish, English
Go to the Girls’ House webpages.
Family counselling services of the Helsinki parishes
The family counselling services of Helsinki parishes offer support for relationship problems, breakups, and life crises.
Languages: Finnish, Swedish, English
Click here to visit the family counselling webpages of the Helsinki parishes.
Central Uusimaa Shelter
The Central Uusimaa Shelter offers support and safe accommodation to victims of domestic violence, regardless of age or gender. The shelter’s services are free of charge, and you can also bring your children with you.
Go to the Central Uusimaa Shelter's website
Väkivaltatyön avopalvelu Paasi: help for those involved in violence in close relationships
Väkivaltatyön avopalvelu Paasi, a community-based service offering support to all those involved in domestic violence. Services are also available remotely.
Victim Support Finland – Service point Järvenpää
Victim Support Finland provides support and guidance to victims of violence throughout the criminal justice process. You can contact the Victim Support Finland already before filing a police report.
Click here to visit the Victim Support Finland webpage for Järvenpää
Kriisikeskus HYMISE
MIELI ry’s HYMISE Crisis Center offers support and assistance in life crises, such as recovering from experiences of violence. Services are available both in person and online.
Porvoo Shelter
The Porvoo Shelter offers support and safe accommodation to those who have experienced domestic violence, regardless of age or gender. The services provided by the shelter are free of charge.
Click here to visit the Porvoo Shelter's website
Väkivaltatyön avopalvelu Paasi: help for those involved in violence in close relationships
Väkivaltatyön avopalvelu Paasi, a community-based service offering support to all those involved in domestic violence. Services are also available remotely.
Social and Crisis Emergency Service in East Uusimaa
The Social and Crisis Emergency Service in East Uusimaa provides urgent support and assistance around the clock for various crisis situations, such as coping with experiences of violence.
Click here to visit the website for Social and Crisis Emergency Service in East Uusimaa
Victim Support Finland – Service point Porvoo
Victim Support Finland provides support and guidance to victims of violence throughout the criminal justice process. You can contact the Victim Support Finland already before filing a police report.
Click here to visit the website for the Victim Support Finland service point in Porvoo
Vantaan turvakoti ry: community-based services and shelter
Community-based services
Community-based services for domestic violence offer immediate assistance in cases of domestic violence and difficult breakups. Support is available for adults and children.
Vantaa Shelter
The Vantaa Shelter is intended for anyone who has experienced or is at risk of experiencing violence in their family or close relationships and who needs immediate refuge to cope with the situation involving violence.
Languages: Finnish, English; interpreter available
Click here to visit the Vantaa Shelter website.
Finnish Red Cross Youth Shelter
Located in Rekola, Vantaa, the Youth Shelter offers young people aged 12–28 a safe place to stay around the clock and provides support through face-to-face and online conversations.
Languages: Finnish, English; interpreter available
Click here to visit the Youth Shelter website.
Vantaa Boys’ House
Vantaa Boys’ House offers support and activities tailored to the specific needs and circumstances of young people aged 10–28 who identify as boys.
Languages: Finnish, English
Click here to visit the Vantaa Boys' House website.
Nicehearts ry’s StrongWoman social support activities and the Girls’ Space
The StrongWoman social support activities provide psychosocial support, service guidance, and counseling to immigrant women who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing violence.
Languages: Finnish, English, and several other languages
Vantaa Girls' Space offers a wide range of activities for girls and women aged 10–28, with everyone being treated as an individual regardless of gender or ethnic background.
Languages: Finnish, English
Social services
In addition to many other organizations, social services and child welfare services also provide assistance to victims of violence.
- Click here to visit the City of Helsinki’s health and social services website.
- Click here to visit the social welfare services website for the Wellbeing Services County of Vantaa and Kerava.
- Click here to visit the Western Uusimaa social services website.
- Click here to visit the Central Uusimaa social services website.
- Click here to visit the East Uusimaa social services website.
Filing a police report and emergencies
You can file a police report either online or at a police station. Here you will find instructions on how to file a police report. In an emergency, always call 112.
Updated: 20.05.2026