On Monday, Vallo Koppel, head of the Police and Border Guard Board's (PPA) South Prefecture, submitted an analysis to Director General Egert Belitšev summarizing the case of Tarmo, who stabbed a person in Tartu at the end of October, then caused a traffic accident that resulted in the death of an innocent bystander as well as his own.

The internal review found that police had responded to nearly 20 incidents involving Tarmo and his household over the course of the year, with recurring aggressive behavior.

The police compiled a summary based on 17 incidents reported between April 16 and October 30 of this year. The first four took place in April and a July incident led to a criminal conviction. In October alone, police dealt with 12 cases of aggressive behavior.

In the span of six months, there were eight incidents where the victim was afraid to go home or leave the house, eight involving psychological abuse and three involving physical contact. Police took Tarmo into custody to sober up on four occasions; in nine cases, he either went home on his own or with his father. Police issued him a domestic violence information sheet five times, conducted follow-ups in eight cases, notified local authorities about a person in need three times and referred two cases to victim support services.

From a mental health perspective, the report noted two instances where Tarmo expressed suicidal thoughts. On one occasion, he was taken to a psychiatric hospital and once he said he would seek treatment voluntarily. Twice he requested medical help, but emergency services or the psychiatric facility refused; in four cases, there was reason to suspect he had abused medication.

According to the internal review, officers who responded to these incidents acted within the bounds of the law and followed established protocols. District officers and investigators were also found to have taken additional initiative on several occasions, engaging with both the victim and perpetrator as well as with partner organizations to find solutions.

The analysis concluded that police shared relevant information with partner agencies to support both the victim and Tarmo. However, it also noted that support measures, such as coordinating with victim support services, can only be applied if those involved give their consent. The victim was informed about the possibility of seeking a restraining order, offered access to victim support services and given information on women's shelter resources.

The district police officer also notified the local government of the psychological abuse victim's need for assistance, but the police have no information on any actions the municipality may have taken in response.

Drunk and suicidal patients not admitted

According to the PPA, the situation was made more complicated by the fact that Tarmo was required to live at the victim's actual residence. Although criminal proceedings had been initiated against him for assaulting the victim, their relationship later improved and they resumed living together. As a result, the court ordered the perpetrator to permanently reside with the victim at her address.

The victim repeatedly told the district police officer that she wanted to end both cohabitation and contact with Tarmo, but the relationship kept resuming. The parties were separated 12 times, but no restraining order was applied in the incidents reviewed. According to the internal review, a restraining order could have been considered in five of those cases.

The analysis notes that police must take intoxicated and suicidal individuals to a detention facility to sober up because psychiatric clinics do not accept them. In such cases, suicidal thoughts are not recorded in the written protocol; instead, the information is passed on verbally to detention staff so they can monitor the detainee more closely.

"There is a gap in the cooperation process between the police, Tartu Prison and medical institutions because it is unclear how it is ensured that a suicidal patient, after sobering up in prison custody, is transferred to a psychiatric clinic for medical supervision," the document states.

On October 29, after a traffic accident report, police determined that Tarmo's breathalyzer reading exceeded the legal limit, constituting a misdemeanor. However, as misdemeanors of this type do not carry arrest as a penalty, Tarmo was neither detained nor had his vehicle confiscated.

Separately, the analysis highlights that information within the PPA is fragmented across various databases. Although the internal review did not find that this affected the handling of the case, the process could be streamlined.

South prefect: Several problems in need of solutions

South Prefect Vallo Koppel said that while a review of the incidents did not reveal any major failings in police conduct, several critical issues emerged that require solutions.

"These are primarily related to information sharing, mental health support and access to support services," Koppel said.

To identify intervention options and find solutions, the PPA convened all parties involved in responding to such cases or providing services — representatives from several ministries, the Prosecutor's Office, probation services, the Social Insurance Board, victim support, the Health Board and local governments.

The goal of the roundtable was to establish concrete agreements on who does what and when to prevent similar cases in the future. The police stressed that the top priority is ensuring people in mental health crisis and those displaying dangerous behavior receive medical care. Secondly, support services must be made accessible even if the individual does not agree to have their contact information shared with victim support.

Third, the system for following up after police have notified authorities about a person in need must be reviewed to ensure effective communication.

The analysis also pointed out that if a person is using medication that may impair their ability to drive, the police currently have no way to notify the prescribing physician to consider revoking the patient's medical clearance for driving. This would require the creation of a new channel for information sharing.

In addition, a clear protocol must be developed for when and how to request a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation for domestic abusers to determine if involuntary treatment is necessary. The police also believe that agreements are needed to enable the transfer of intoxicated individuals in need of care to psychiatric clinics.

Addiction treatment should be more accessible and a psychiatric emergency department should be established. Perpetrators of violence should be referred for mandatory counseling during the legal process. If the individual has children, an assessment should be made to determine whether they are capable of providing a safe parenting environment. The police also recommend extending the duration of temporary restraining orders from the current 12 hours to 72 hours.

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