The Prosecutor's Office has charged Kaie Kruusamägi (43) with incitement to murder, aiding and abetting murder, and incitement to physical abuse; Kermo Rajamets (19) with murder and physical abuse; a 15-year-old boy with murder and robbery; an 18-year-old man (who was a minor at the time of the offense) with murder; and Kevin Kruusamägi (19) with physical abuse.

The two individuals charged who were minors at the time the offenses took place cannot be named, for legal reasons. Additionally, Carlos Pikk (24) has been charged with causing serious bodily injury, as have all of the other defendants.

According to the charge sheet, Kaie Kruusamägi had in spring this year repeatedly encouraged several youths aged 15 to 19 to physically abuse the victim, aged 37. The youths did so in order to gain her approval, the indictment finds, first attacking the victim in March. A subsequent attack, which proved fatal, took place the following month.

The victim was first attacked in March by Rajamets and Kevin Kruusamägi, who were as a result charged with physical abuse.

On the evening of April 3 this year, Kaie Kruusamägi invited the victim to meet with her, which he did. The pair then spent time together and consumed alcohol in a group which also included the young men who have been charged. According to the prosecution, Kaie Kruusamägi incited five youths to beat the victim; Rajamets, the 15-year-old boy, the 18-year-old young man, and Kaie Kruusamägi herself actively participated in the assault, while Kevin Kruusamägi and Pikk took part to a lesser extent, the charge sheet finds.

The indictment states that after the beating, the victim was left lying helplessly on the grass, while the defendants went to Kaie Kruusamägi's residence to continue to consume alcohol.

According to the charges, later that same night, after consuming alcohol in the same apartment, Rajamets, the 18-year-old young man, and the 15-year-old returned to the location where the victim was still lying. Rajamets then stabbed the victim dozens of times, and the three defendants then dragged him to a bridge on the Pedel paisjärv lake, and threw him into the water.

Senior Prosecutor Ingmar Laasi said that the prosecution brought murder charges because the evidence gathered clearly indicates that the killing was of a particularly cruel nature and inflicted suffering on the victim.

Kaie Kruusamägi plays a central role in the indictment because, according to the prosecution, the victim was beaten and later killed as a consequence of her incitement and assistance.

Under Estonian law, a conviction for murder carries a sentence of between eight and 20 years' imprisonment, or life imprisonment. In the case of a juvenile offender, the maximum sentence prescribed by law is 10 years' imprisonment.

The pre-trial investigation was conducted by the Police and Border Guard Board's (PPA) South Prefecture, while the proceedings were led by the South District Prosecutor's Office.

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