Originally, the first-tier Pärnu County Court and the second-tier Tallinn Circuit Court had both acquitted Eskola, 43, known as DJ Cityflash, of rape, but on November 1, 2024, the Supreme Court overturned these acquittals, finding both courts had given preferential treatment to the defendant's testimony over the victim's, and had not justified their positions convincingly.

In the retrial, the circuit ruled Tuesday that while Eskola's conviction was justified, the scope of the crime as set out in the indictment and the act ultimately established in court do not fully tally up, meaning Eskola can only be found guilty of a crime to a lesser extent than alleged in the original charge sheet.

This resulted in Eskola's jail term being halved from its original three years handed at the county court's retrial, to 18 months, and his probationary period — when he will be required to permanently reside at a set address and only leave if express permission is obtained, regularly report to his probation office and take part in a rehabilitation program — shortened from four years to two.

The circuit court also reduced the amount Eskola must pay to the victim arising from their civil claim, from €7,000 to €2,500; the victim had left the sum of compensation for non-pecuniary damages from the defendant to the court's discretion.

Eskola was on trial under the article of the Penal Code relating to rape and, according to the indictment, at a party function room in Paide, on May 7, 2022, he had sexual intercourse with the victim, a young mother, against the victim's will.

The county court and circuit court retrials this year found Eskola committed an act of rape accompanied by violence, and took advantage of the woman victim being unable to resist due to alcohol intoxication, physical fatigue, and the difference in physical strength between the two parties.

The charges stated that Eskola had physically dragged the victim into a lounge area and laid them on a pool table, and, while the victim tried to push Eskola away, they proved unable to.

The defendant then had intercourse with the victim, causing pain during the act, which involved pressing a pillow over her face and pulling her hair.

A medical examination found bruises and abrasions on the victim's body to an extent and in areas which would be consistent with an act of rape.

The Tallinn Circuit Court decision has not yet entered into force.

Eskola was, in the mid-2000s, a founding member of dance music ensemble Släm, which reunited in 2023 after a hiatus of over a decade. Most of the intervening time, he has been a solo artist and producer.

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