Today I write as a concerned parent. Not as a politician, an official, or a commentator, but as a person whose children live in Võru and who has watched for years how the situation among young people has been getting worse and worse.
What is happening in the city of Võru and its surrounding areas is no longer a matter of isolated incidents or occasional mistakes. It has become a systemic problem.
A Generation Growing Up on the Streets
In Võru, groups of teenagers have formed that increasingly resemble street gangs. Young people skip school, spend their time on the streets and in parks, and are more and more frequently exposed to alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs.
In the worst cases, it does not stop at consumption – illegal substances are also being sold.
This is no longer a matter of rumors. It is a reality that many parents and local residents witness with their own eyes.
Even more tragic is the fact that several young people have died in this area in recent years. Each such death is a sign that something in our society is seriously wrong.
Authorities With Their Hands Tied
The police and child protection services are not necessarily malicious or indifferent. The problem is that the law ties their hands.
Minors cannot be detained without a court order. When the police manage to catch a young person, they are often simply taken back home. Soon after, they are back with the same group again.
And so a vicious circle forms:
young people run from the police, the police take them home, and before long they are back on the streets.
Adults Exploiting Children
What is perhaps most disturbing is that behind these children there are reportedly adults with criminal backgrounds who exploit minors.
Children are used to sell substances because those behind it know that the justice system treats minors differently and children themselves are easier to manipulate.
For the police, proving such schemes is extremely difficult. Names are not given, young people are afraid to speak, and investigative leads often end in a dead end.
If the Community Does Not Respond, Then Who Will?
This situation cannot continue.
If the state and the system cannot respond quickly enough, then the community itself must wake up. Not in the sense of vigilantism, but in the sense of responsibility.
Parents must begin asking themselves some uncomfortable questions:
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Where is my child actually spending their evenings?
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Who are they associating with?
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Where do their money, cigarettes, or alcohol come from?
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Could they be involved with a group that leads them toward crime and drugs?
The Responsibility of Parents
It is time to pay closer attention and intervene.
If illegal substances are found with a child, they should be taken away and handed over to the police.
Children must be spoken to honestly and directly.
And most importantly, people must find the courage to talk about who is actually bringing these substances to young people.
The police cannot act if nobody speaks.
Võru Must Not Become a City of a Lost Generation
We are talking about our children.
We are talking about their health, their future, and sometimes even their lives.
If we ignore this problem, a generation will grow up in Võru whose lives begin on the streets and too often end in tragedy.
This must not happen.
It is time for the Võru community – parents, teachers, the police, and local residents – to face this problem together.
Because if we do not protect our children, then who will?
— Mario Maripuu, parent
