Professor acquitted by district court
Professor Åke Lundqvist, who was accused of violating the Ethics Review Act regarding COVID-19 sampling of people in a housing association during the pandemic, has been acquitted by the district court.
Update 31 August 2023: The acquittal in the district court has become final.
“It’s positive that this case went through a legal process, as that is vital for the public’s confidence in research. This kind of process is often drawn out and unpleasant for all those involved, of course. The period for appeal must now pass before the ruling can be declared final,” explains Deputy Vice-Rector Eva Tiensuu Janson.
The trial in the district court concerned whether the testing, in contrast to Lundqvist’s claim, formed part of a research project and thus should first have received approval from the Central Ethical Review Board. However, it could not be proven that this was the case, so the charge was therefore dismissed.
The ruling will become final on 21 July, unless an appeal is submitted by either party before that date.
Anneli Waara