Sarah Dzafces will be stripped of her crown, beauty pageant organizers announced at a press conference on Thursday.
Dzafce, who was crowned Miss Finland in September, was embroiled in a social media storm after a photo of her making a gesture that was seen as racist was published.
The photo shows Dzafce drawing his eyes in a slanted shape with his fingers, with the text below in Finnish: "kiinalaisenkaa söyömäs" which roughly translates to "eating with a Chinese person".
Photo: Instagram
The image was widely interpreted as a mockery of Asian people. Initially, Dzafce defended the gesture, explaining that he had averted his eyes due to a "severe headache."
However, the Miss Finland organization, which manages the annual pageant, stated on Wednesday that it does not accept racism or discriminatory behavior in any form.
On Thursday, the organization expressed its "sincere apology" for the incident, announcing that Dzafce would be relieved of her title.
As a result of this decision, Tara Lehtone who ranked second behind Dzafce will take her place.
Dzafce, born in Oulu and raised in Kuopio, is originally from Kosovo.
"I am deeply sorry for all those I have offended and hurt with my actions on social media," she said during a press conference on Thursday. /Telegraph/
