Police are being urged to investigate the death of a British woman at a coastal city in Spain.
Pia Hokkanen fell from a second-storey communal window on her 50th birthday while staying at her sister’s apartment for three days in Torrevieja, Alicante.
Ms Hokkanen fell onto a neighbour’s garden patio just after midnight on September 4, in what Spanish Police have said was likely a suicide.
On the night of her death, Ms Hokkanen had fallen out with her boyfriend of seven years, Eugene Doris, 42, who left the flat for a hostel four hours before her fatal fall.
He told the Guardian that he was informed by Guardia Civil that his partner was dead almost a day after he left her.
Pia Hokkanen fell to her death from a second-floor window while staying at her sister’s flat in Torrevieja in Alicante, Spain on her 50th birthday
Denying that Ms Hokkanen was suicidal, Mr Doris compared her sudden death to something out of the Final Destination – a 2000 horror movie in which survivors of an air disaster die in a series of random accidents.
He said: ‘I think the police are still, yes, the police are still looking into it. I think I have to liaise with them and I think with some lawyers as well. Possible it was an accident. Probably it was an accident, yeah, that’s what I think.’
Adding that he was looking to get Spanish lawyers to pressure police to investigate evidence further, he suggested it might be ‘useful to get the Metropolitan Police involved’.
Ms Hokkanen, who held both British and Finnish citizenship and had lived in Britain for 25 years, had planned a birthday party in London three days later.
She was also looking forward to returning to Spain on another holiday in October.
Both she and Mr Doris had enjoyed wine tasting on the day she was later discovered by a neighbour who heard her hit the ground.
The product manager for Visa was found only wearing knickers, a T-shirt and a single slipper – the counterpart of which was discovered pointing away from the window from where she fell.
At the time of the fatal incident, she appeared to be holding open a wash bag – the contents of which were found strewn all over the floor of the flat, including lipstick, a toothbrush, a cotton bud and eyeliner.
Some friends of Ms Hokkanen voiced concerns that Guardia Civil had reached a conclusion that she had taken her own life without considering more evidence, such as reviewing CCTV footage from neighbouring properties, analysing messages on her two phones and interviewing potential witnesses.
Enrique Puerto, 44, who had known Ms Hokkanen for 20 years, said: ‘If you’re not a resident, and you’re a foreigner, you become like a statistic – case closed.’
Ms Hokkanen had enjoyed wine tasting with her boyfriend in Torrevieja on the day she was later discovered dead by her neighbour
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: ‘On Saturday 7 September the Met was made aware of an ongoing investigation concerning the death of a 50-year-old dual British national in Torrevieja, Spain.
‘Officers’ role in such cases is limited to facilitating communication between overseas authorities and anyone here in London who believes they may have relevant information to share.
‘Information has now been shared with Spanish authorities leading this case. It will be for them to determine whether further action may be required.’
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[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
