Kauhajoki's Church Remembers Shooting Victims

A memorial service was held at Kauhajoki's local Lutheran church on Sunday in memory of the people killed in last week's shooting at a local vocational college. A 22-year-old student killed ten people at the college on Tuesday, and also took his own life.

In a sombre service attended by President Tarja Halonen and members of the government, Bishop Simo Peura pondered whether negligence is contributing to the anxiety of Finland's youth.

"Have we adults been blind? What if the distress of our children and youth is caused by a lack of responsibility on behalf of adults and society? This is the discussion that faces Finns now. We need the whole country to make a change," he said.

Echoing the thoughts of many child psychologists, Peura then pleaded with parents to spend more time with their children.

"In order to ensure a happy life for our children, we have to sacrifice some other activities that take too much time away from them," he said. "We have to focus on daily life."

Kauhajoki's church pews were filled by family and friends of the victims who died in the shooting. Similar services were held in churches across the country.

Today, Monday, schools in Kauhajoki reopen for the first time after the tragedy.