PPA officer: Domestic violence victims often don't seek further investigation

In domestic violence callouts, the victim often only wants immediate intervention, not a full investigation or court action, Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) Southern Prefecture chief Vallo Koppel said.
Koppel made his remarks following last week's stabbing of a woman in Tartu County, by her former partner. The woman was injured but survived. The perpetrator then killed another man, and himself, in a head-on road collision while being pursued by the PPA.
The incident has sparked widespread public debate on how such tragic consequences might have been prevented.
The individual had a long history of violent crime. He had previously been criminally sentenced for drink driving and bodily harm. A court had recently sentenced him to probation and behavioral supervision for an earlier knife attack on the same ex-partner, but this failed to deter him.
Speaking to "Vikerhommik," Koppel said that no one could be satisfied with an outcome involving an injured woman and two deceased men, meaning the authority is asking itself questions on what could have been done better.
This analysis will determine whether police workflows and principles, the system of information exchange, and the work of officers were functioning as they should have. According to Koppel, this will take some time as many parties will be involved, including the emergency center, the PPA's command center, community officers, and others.
"I can simply pledge that we will look into this very thoroughly. And no matter what picture emerges, the people of Estonia have the right to know," Koppel went on.
Speaking more broadly about violent incidents, Koppel noted that when the PPA gets a highly alarming call and arrives on the scene, it often turns out that the caller simply wants the situation to be calmed down. Once things have settled, they no longer wish to proceed further. "They don't want to take part in any kind of process or investigation, give statements, or, even less, go to court," Koppel remarked.
Complicating matters in many cases is the fact that the often situations involve married or cohabiting individuals who may share children, a household, and income. Regrettably, in many cases, the individual who is the household's main breadwinner is that very same individual who may be the perpetrator, or who may pose a danger to others.
Koppel rejected, however, the "Vikerrhommik" presenters' shared opinion that punishments for abusers are too lenient, and that in effect nothing happens to them.
"In this specific case, a penalty was indeed imposed, and it could have turned into a real prison sentence. One aspect of our analysis is to determine whether, under the circumstances we have documented, this should have happened before the tragic events. We will certainly be seeking an answer to that," Koppel added, confirming that there have been real-life cases in which a suspended sentence has been converted into real prison time.
"But punishment alone is not a magic wand, as if no other measures are taken in tandem with it, then a person who serves time in prison comes out exactly the same as they went in, and everything starts all over again," he added.
Other lessons to be drawn from last week's case in Tartu County include the need for even greater cooperation and a faster exchange of information, he said.
Over half of the Riigikogu signed a statement Monday which calls for adhering to the Istanbul Convention on domestic violence, at a time when MPs in neighboring Latvia voted to leave the convention, claiming domestic law covers the issue adequately.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Mirjam Mäekivi
Source: "Vikerhommik", interviewers Kirke Ert and Taavi Libe










