Following last Thursday's brutal incident in Tartu County — where a man stabbed a woman and then crashed head-on into a random oncoming car, killing its driver and himself — Interior Minister Igor Taro (Eesti 200) said he had questions about how the justice system functions.

At the end of last week, Taro also promised that within a few days, a report would be completed to assess whether critical information had been properly relayed, and if so, whether appropriate steps were taken or whether someone had failed to act.

That document is now complete, though both the Ministry of the Interior and the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) have emphasized that it is not strictly a report, but rather an overview.

Taro received the overview and a detailed timeline of events on Wednesday. However, there are no plans to release it to the public.

PPA communications director Kaie Konga explained that due to the ongoing criminal investigation and the sensitive nature of the personal data involved, the overview cannot be made public.

A summary, however, is in the works. Meetings have already taken place and more are planned to examine what happened and how similar situations might be better handled in the future. That summary is expected to be ready for publication in the coming weeks.

Minister: Gaps go beyond police conduct

In a social media post, Taro said he had received a detailed briefing on the case from the director general of the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), along with an analysis of what lessons could be learned for preventing and addressing domestic violence in the future.

"In this particular case, police responded to 20 calls over a six-month period. Twenty alerts to the emergency center and 20 patrol dispatches — some involving multiple patrols and sometimes also paramedics. Just think about that," Taro wrote.

He added that this was far from the only case in the Tartu area and certainly not the only ongoing domestic violence situation, as last weekend's incident summary showed. According to him, police took those calls seriously and acted responsibly.

"The addresses were known, as was the individual involved. Officers responded when neighbors reported hearing shouting. They responded when the victim was too afraid to go to work because her ex-partner was lurking outside. The person responsible for the calls was removed from the scene — taken to the Tartu detention center to sober up or picked up by relatives," the minister explained.

Taro said this deeply tragic case reveals significant gaps in the broader system, issues that go far beyond police action alone. He noted that police had forwarded the necessary information to other parties. For instance, the domestic violence incident report form is also sent to the local government so the social welfare department can be informed of those in need.

"But we still don't know exactly how that information was received or what actions were taken by others. That part is still being investigated," Taro said.

Law needs to change to ensure victims' protection

As key takeaways, Taro pointed out that under current law, police had no effective legal means to impose a restraining order on the perpetrator in this case.

"The current 12-hour restriction would not have worked, for example, if multiple calls from the same apartment came within a 16-hour span on the same day. Even the current heightened-risk threshold wouldn't allow for stronger action unless the victim's life is in serious danger. A necessary amendment to the law is currently under review, which would enable police to better protect victims in the future," Taro said.

He also expressed concern over how specialists respond when they receive information about risky behavior from patients with mental health or substance abuse issues. For this reason, the Ministry of the Interior is asking representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs' healthcare sector to join both the domestic violence expert group and steering committee.

"It would also help significantly if, following a plea deal, a probation officer were assigned immediately after the court's decision is finalized and if oversight and support measures were implemented without delay and tailored to the case," Taro noted.

He added that curricula at the Academy of Security Sciences and the Police and Border Guard College have already been updated to better prepare future officers to handle domestic violence situations. Additional training has also been developed for police officers, along with counseling for first responders to strengthen their skills and mental resilience — efforts that, according to Taro, must continue.

PPA chief: Stronger support system needed

"But this competence and expert approach is needed more broadly," said Interior Minister Taro. "The most important lesson here is a reminder that preventing domestic violence, protecting victims and restraining — and when necessary, treating — perpetrators is not the sole responsibility of the PPA. It is a much wider area of shared responsibility. We must do better — no one should be left without help in the gaps between services."

Taro added that with the Christmas season approaching — a time that, unfortunately, tends to see a rise in domestic violence cases — Police and Border Guard Board Director General Egert Belitšev has pledged to allocate additional resources and respond even more effectively than in previous years.

In an opinion piece published by ERR on Friday, Belitšev also wrote that police found no incident involving the alleged attacker, Tarmo, in which officers had acted carelessly, negligently or lazily. However, the review clearly confirmed that in such situations, police have far too little to offer both the victim and the perpetrator on the scene.

As a first necessary change, Belitšev also highlighted the need to extend restraining orders that prevent an abuser from returning to the family home. He suggested that doctors should be allowed to propose revoking a driver's medical certificate in cases involving substance abuse and that conditional sentences should come with behavioral requirements that help prevent more serious offenses.

Belitšev also stressed the need for well-thought-out treatment and support programs, rather than simply taking a person with mental health issues to sober up. He listed several additional changes that could improve the situation and concluded that stronger support systems are essential if society wants to truly address violence.

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