Estonia: longer restraining orders in domestic violence cases show positive results
Estonia's police say a regulation in force since April 17 allowing restraining orders of up to 72 hours in domestic violence cases has reduced repeat incidents, though women's support centres warn psychological abuse is becoming harder to address.
Kristi Mäe, deputy director general of Estonia's Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), told ERR that regulation in effect since April 17 has allowed police to impose restraining orders for significantly longer than before, when the maximum was 12 hours. During this period the order was applied in 142 cases — in one out of five cases the maximum 72-hour term was used, and in a quarter of cases a 48-hour order was set.
According to Mäe, the longer restraining order has fully proven its worth, since repeat violence occurs less often when a longer ban is imposed. She cited two examples. In August, in southern Estonia, a man became verbally and physically aggressive after a woman tried to wake him up; since three small children were also present, a 72-hour restraining order was imposed on him. Five days later, a meeting with a local police officer led both the woman and the man to reach an agreement. In May, in Tallinn, a man threw a woman out of the house after becoming angry that she had gone to a party with colleagues; this case also ended in physical violence, and police set a 72-hour ban, allowing the woman to safely return home.
Support centres see a bigger problem in psychological abuse
Margo Orupõld, head of the Pärnu Women's Support Centre, said the legal change has not yet affected their work, since victims in crisis often do not prioritise knowing whether or for how long a restraining order was set. Still, she views it as a good opportunity for a woman to make calm decisions, knowing the abuser will be absent for a set period. She considers the growing problem of psychological violence, marked by constant control, to be far more serious — police are often not called in such cases due to a lack of direct evidence, and even when abuse is proven, women frequently later refuse to testify, preventing cases from being concluded.
Pille Copp-Pagan, head of the NGO Naiste tugi- ja teabekeskus, said support centres in Tartu and Põlva counties have not noticed changes linked to the longer restraining order, possibly because affected women now have more time to gather their belongings and think before seeking help.
Stricter consequences for violations planned
Mäe acknowledged that PPA does not yet have data on how many restraining orders have been violated. Currently, no criminal penalty exists for violating an order — police may apply direct coercion or impose a compulsory payment of up to 9,600 euros. Some countries impose stricter punishments for violations, with bans lasting several weeks, which Mäe said is an area Estonia could further develop, including through IT solutions to speed up the process.
