Estonia may ban domestic violence offenders from legally changing their name
Estonian officials are considering legislative changes that would prevent convicted domestic violence offenders from legally changing their name, Delfi reports.
The Ministry of Social Affairs asked the Interior Ministry to consider amending the Personal Names Act to prevent convicted domestic violence offenders from legally changing their names, Delfi writes (link in Estonian).
The ministry argues that continuing to allow convicted domestic violence offenders to legally change their name could put victims at risk as well as hinder recidivism prevention efforts.
"Domestic violence is rarely a one-time act; it is a repeated and recurring behavior," the ministry said, noting that studies also show prior violent behavior is a strong predictor of future violence, even if a crime is past its statute of limitations.
Officials warned that changing their name after a conviction could let domestic violence offenders hide past behavior from new partners, employers or even their community, increasing the risk to potential new victims and making it harder for both victims to protect themselves and for law enforcement to take preventive action.
The ministry also highlighted the victims' perspective, noting that a crime's statute of limitations being up does not mean that their experience is over or that the psychological impacts have disappeared.
Domestic violence offenders changing their identity, it noted, "can retraumatize victims, spark fear and uncertainty and reduce their willingness to seek help or report abuse."
Less robust measures won't work
The letter emphasizes that Estonia's legal system allows proportional restrictions if needed to protect the rights of others.
The proposed restriction would also help preserve the social aspect of a convicted offender's punishment and maintain trust in the justice system, ensuring their offenses aren't effectively erased from memory with a name change.
Officials stressed that the goal of ensuring public safety and other individuals' rights cannot be achieved as effectively with less robust measures.
Proposed legislative amendments already in the works would prevent those convicted of serious offenses from changing their name until the offense was expunged from their record, ERR News reported last month.
In the case of sexual offenses against minors, the name change ban would apply for life.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
