Victim Compensation Programs: Estonia

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Directory of International Crime Victim Compensation Programs 2004 - 2005

Estonia

Estonia has a crime victim compensation program for victims of severe crime.

Eligibility Requirements

Report to police. Yes. Although there is no time limit on reporting a crime to the police, a court decree or a letter from the investigating organization is required.

Filing period. One year from the date the crime was committed or from the date of the victim's death; exceptions may be made.

Foreign citizen eligibility. Foreign nationals residing in Estonia on temporary or permanent residency permits and refugees staying in Estonia are eligible for compensation.

Claimants

•	Victims of violent crime who have suffered profound bodily injury (i.e., a health disorder that has lasted for at least 6 months)


•	Dependents of homicide victims

Procedures

Application forms are available from the Pension Board of the Estonian Social Welfare Agency (www.ensib.ee/toetused/kuriteoohvrid2002_eng.html). Applications should contain personal data on the victim, information regarding the crime and damage caused by the crime, and information about compensation received from other sources. The director of the pension board has 30 days after the documents have been submitted to decide whether to grant compensation to the victim. If an applicant disagrees with the decision, he or she has the right to appeal to the local administrative court within 30 days after receiving the copy of the decree regarding his or her case.

Benefits and Award Limits

Compensation is calculated as a percentage of expenditures (usually 50 percent of expenses related to lost wages, medical expenses, funeral expenses, and material losses), or a percentage of a deceased victim's income prior to the crime. The maximum amount of compensation is 50,000 Estonian kroons.

Compensable costs

•	Medical expenses


•	Funeral expenses


•	Lost wages due to the inability to work


•	Loss of support caused by the death of a victim


•	Cost of glasses, false teeth, contact lenses, other accessories, and clothes in cases in which the total sum of loss exceeds 50 percent of the person's income

Emergency awards. The director of the pension board has the authority to give a victim an advance payment if it is obvious that an applicant will be granted compensation and he or she is in a difficult situation. The maximum amount of the advance payment is 10,000 Estonian kroons.

Funding sources. Funded by government budget outlay and court fines assessed against criminals.

Contact Information

Liidia Siil (Room 203), Pension Board, Tallinn Office, Pronksi 12, 10117 Tallinn, Estonia
Telephone: (372) 697-5131
E-mail: Liidia.Siil@pronksi.ensib.ee
Internet: www.ensib.ee (in English at www.ensib.ee/toetused/kuriteoohvrid2002_eng.html)

Languages used—
• On application forms: Estonian
• In correspondence: Estonian
• By telephone: Estonian

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