Suure-Lähtru baby case mother returns to Estonia
A woman who had been detained in Morocco since early March has been returned to Estonia, where she has been placed in custody. The woman's baby was found deceased in a Lääne-County village earlier this year.
.Eesti Ekspress reported on Monday that Estonian police returned the woman, whose deceased infant was found in Suure-Lähtru, Lääne County in early February, after a court order was issued later that month.
The first-tier Pärnu County Court granted permission for the suspect to be detained for up to two months from the time of her arrest, which was made in absentia since she was in Morocco. Reports at the time stated that she was in detention in that country.
Acting for the suspect, defense lawyer Robert Sarv appealed that decision at the second-tier Tallinn Circuit Court, but the appeal was overruled.
The woman was retuned to Estonia from Morocco last Wednesday, and while she had been placed in custody in absentia, the law states that upon their arrival in Estonia a court must interview a detainee and ensure the justification for continued detention.
That justification was found.
Eliisa Sommer, senior prosecutor of the Western District Prosecutor's Office said: "Given that the prosecutor's office believes there is still a risk that the woman may evade criminal proceedings if released, we consider her detention absolutely necessary."
"Pärnu County Court agreed with the prosecutor's office and has ordered her to remain in custody for up to two months," Sommer went on.
As for what happens next, Haapsalu PPA chief Andrei Taratuhin told ERR last week: "We have collected and analyzed the evidence gathered so far, but in order to continue with the proceedings, it is important to speak with the woman herself.
"This will allow us to move forward with the investigation and determine what led to the tragic incident that occurred in early February," Taratuhin added.
An extensive search for the mother of a deceased infant took place after a family dog had brought the baby's body home, to a farmyard at Suure-Lähtru.
The PPA search led to the identification of the mother, who was found to have traveled to Morocco. She was detained by Moroccan police in early March
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Lennart Joosep Lumi
Source: Eesti Ekspress
