Around 10,000 domestic violence cases are officially registered in Estonia each year. In reality, the number may be much higher, as not every incident results in a police callout, Egert Belitšev, head of the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), said in an interview with ERR this week. "We have a large number of cases involving repeat offenders and repeat victims," he added.

One tragic example is the so-called "Nõo crash driver," who came to police attention 12 times in October alone.

Belitšev also described a case of a person known to police who has been the victim of violence 19 times this year. In light of such examples, he said Estonia currently lacks sufficient measures both to protect victims and to deal with perpetrators.

"We respond to incidents and find people at the scene who have mental health problems, sometimes showing signs of alcohol use — maybe only mild signs — and our only option to temporarily separate them from the victim is to place them in a sobering-up facility or impose a 12-hour restraining order. That's where it ends. Aside from criminal proceedings, there are hardly any tools left for dealing with perpetrators," Belitšev said.

According to Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200), no discussions have taken place about whether the police need additional tools to deal with abusers.

"The police can't fix the whole world. Everything that comes before a callout and everything that follows during the investigation process are critical parts of the broader picture. I believe there are more pressing issues to address than expanding police powers. Our long-term goal should be to reduce the number of callouts — not because people report less, but because prevention is more effective and violence is less frequent," Taro said.

He added that extending restraining orders from the current 12 hours to 72 hours — a measure already approved by the government — would provide a significant new tool for police.

Madis Timpson, chair of the Riigikogu Legal Affairs Committee, also said police currently have adequate means to respond to domestic violence. Like Taro, he stressed that domestic violence is not solely a police matter.

"I think once the Riigikogu approves the extension of restraining orders — which I believe it will — police work will definitely become easier," Timpson said.

"When there's a criminal investigation, that's another matter; it follows the legal process and I don't think additional powers are needed there. What really needs to happen is closer interagency cooperation. The focus should be on prevention and also on supporting both victims and perpetrators. Punishment alone doesn't help people — they need real assistance," he said.

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