Woman falls from apartment block in Spain as loved ones call on British police to intervene

The family and friends of a woman who died after falling from an apartment block in Spain have called on British police to join the investigation.

Piia Hokkanen was on holiday in Torrevieja near Alicante when she fell on the evening of her 50th birthday. Spanish police believe that the likely cause of death was suicide, the Guardian reports.

But her loved ones deny that she was suicidal and claim that the Guardia Civil have rushed to a conclusion. Ms Hokkanen was staying at her sister's holiday home for a three day break last month.

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She was found lifeless on a neighbour's patio after midnight on September 4. Ms Hokkanen, a product manager at Visa Europe, was in the country with her partner, 42-year-old Eugene Doris. The pair lived in Kilburn, north-west London.

He had left the apartment hours earlier after the pair had argued. Mr Doris said he was informed of Ms Hokkanen's death nearly 24 hours after their row.

He told the Guardian: “I don’t think she was suicidal, no. I think we are just liaising with the police and trying to get evidence. The police investigation is not finished yet. I’m looking to get Spanish lawyers to try and prod the police to investigate further with her phones and bank statements …

“I’m not her next of kin. I’m her boyfriend, basically, not her husband or civil partner. Possibly it might be useful to get the Metropolitan police involved with the Spanish police.”

Asked what he thought may have led his partner to fall, Mr Doris said: “I think it might have [been] either something from the movie, Final Destination, something inexplicable – there’s no CCTV footage, as I understand it – something you wouldn’t, couldn’t conceive of unless you actually saw it or maybe she had, maybe, maybe she met with someone, a delivery driver, I’m not sure, to be honest.

“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.”

In the 2000 film, survivors of a plane crash end up dying in a series of freak accidents. Mr Doris, from Belfast, said the couple had been wine tasting together earlier in the day. But he denies that Ms Hokkanen had been drinking a lot of alcohol and said she was 'not a heavy drinker'.

The Metropolitan Police was alerted after one of Ms Hokkanen's friends reported concerns about the Spanish police's investigation. The two forces have shared information but the Guardia Civil remains in charge.

A Met spokesperson 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.”

Mr Doris added: “I’m doing OK. Well, I’m just a little, well, I’m a little, how can I put it, I don’t have as many options as I’d like, because I’m not next of kin. I’m not married to her. But I’m also not sure if, how you can prod along a police force if you’re not happy with them. They won’t, they don’t speak to me other than the original meeting, as it were, when they basically just consoled me on her death. That was basically what it was.”

Enrique Puerto, 44, from Barcelona, a friend of Ms Hokkanen's for more than 20 years, said he had spoken to the local detectives but they appeared adamant that it was a case of suicide. He said: “If you are not a resident, and you are a foreigner, you become like a statistic, case closed.”