Sarah Dzafce Officially Loses Miss Finland Crown After Racism Scandal

JAKARTA - The holder of the title of Miss Finland, Sarah Dzafce, officially lost her crown and title following a racism scandal that dragged her name. This decision was announced by the organizers of the Miss Finland beauty contest in a press conference on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

The organizers emphasized that they do not tolerate any form of racism or discriminatory behavior. In their official statement, they also apologized for the incident.

The position of Miss Finland is now held by Tara Lehtonen, a finalist who previously took second place. The woman from Helsinki has been appointed as the new Miss Finland.

"I promise to carry out this title with deep pride and respect," Lehtonen wrote via social media, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Sarah Dzafce herself was crowned Miss Finland last September. However, according to a report by the Finnish national media, Yle, she received widespread criticism on social media after an old photo of her resurfaced on the online platform.

In the photo, Dzafce is seen pulling the corner of his eye with his fingers. The photo was accompanied by the caption, "will eat with Chinese people". The gesture and the caption were then considered insulting and degrading to Asians.

Initially, Dzafce defended himself by claiming that he was only massaging his temples and opening his eyes wide because of a severe headache. In a press conference, he finally made a public apology, especially to the Asian community.

"Racism is absolutely unacceptable," he said.

He also conveyed his plan to temporarily stay away from social media.

"In the future, I will think ten times before uploading anything. I need time to focus on my condition," said Dzafce, as quoted by the Helsinki Times.

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Still according to the Helsinki Times, Dzafce and Lehtonen, who are both 25 years old, hugged each other at the event before the official title was handed over.

Lehtonen admitted that he knew about the controversy that befell Dzafce, but did not expect the situation to develop this far. He admitted that he received a sudden phone call while working, then asked if he was willing to accept the title of Miss Finland.

"I was silent for a moment to digest his question. I didn't prepare for this at all," he explained.

The handing over of the title in the middle of the term is not new in the history of Miss Finland. The last time something similar happened in 2011, when Pia Lamberg resigned due to dissatisfaction with the organization. At that time, the title of Miss Finland was given to Sara Sieppi as the first runner-up.