In private chats, Priit Toobal wooed schoolboys

Photo: Liis Treimann/ Postimees

«Nice body.»

«Sry... that was too gay maybe.»

«Nowadays they say all are bi :D so cool :D»

«Might down vodka together sometime :D»

«Thought let's have a sauna [party] and down some vodka :D»

In a recent Facebook conversation, these sentences were written by top Centre Party cadre and Riigikogu member to a 16 years old male gymnasium student. A few hours after learning about the investigative article to be published thereon in Postimees, Mr Toobal announced his resignation from the parliament citing need to defend reputation of the Riigikogu. 

November 6th. Mr Toobal arrives at a gymnasium volleyball event, in area where he for years has run for political positions. That very night, three youths who played got invited as friends by the politician in Facebook. Promptly, conversations were on by the deputy.

With the initial 11th grader the chat was cut short as the lad told Mr Toobal he was off to meet a girlfriend. With the second, a 10th grader, it went longer. However, the sudden end came as the Riigikogu member launched into lauding the lad’s body.

The third conversation went longer still. «He asked me what I was doing. I was watching a movie,» said the lad of 16. Having no earlier knowledge of Mr Toobal, he quickly Googled the man.

The boy assumed the politician would be interested in volleyball and results in sports. Indeed, Mr Toobal begun by praising the game but the lad soon got a feeling this was but a pretext. «I think I spent 10 seconds on the court. I play basketball, can’t play volleyball at all. So I actually did not play,» said the student.

Then, Mr Toobal made his point. Which was the lad’s top form and nice body. Hurriedly and formally he apologised – perhaps this was too gay – and delved into a discussion on youth today more often than not living the double sex life than when he went to school. He felt sure there were such in the lad’s class as well.

While a politician triggering a discussion on sexual preferences in schoolchildren aren’t too traditional, the gag line was yet to come. «Might down vodka together sometime,» Mr Toobal suggested his newfound acquaintance. The politician lost some wind when told the lad was but 16 years of age.: «Oh dammit. Youuuuung /…/ Thought let's have a sauna [party] and down some vodka :D /…/ Let’s wait two years then :Ü,» backtracked the Centre Party cadre.

That was the end of round one. A couple of days later, the politician was back again with an informal cool-type greeting and initiated a chat which was limited to where who was at.

The schoolboy thought that weird. He investigated if Mr Toobal was interested in other as well. Turned out, the interest was limited to three schoolboys. A week ago as the boy was on a guided school trip in Tallinn, Mr Toobal came again over Facebook and asked the straight question: will the students stay in Tallinn for the night. They did not.

Monday evening, Postimees was convinced in explicit interest in Mr Toobal towards the lad, asking the latter in the presence of journalists to contact Mr Toobal in Facebook and ask about the saunas and the vodkas. The reply by Mr Toobal was a bit more subdued but still carried a double meaning, circling around whether the schoolboy was bisexual or not.

This isn’t the first time Mr Toobal catches limelight with his invitations to sauna. Three years ago, a young man meeting Mr Toobal at a social site told the media the Riigikogu member had offer that they go together to the parliamentarian Toompea sauna. «This is some totally sick full moon lunacy,» Mr Toobal commented at the time.

Headmaster: this is deviant behaviour

The headmaster of abovementioned school, having familiarised with the abovementioned conversations between Mr Toobal and the students, explicitly said this is deviant behaviour.

«If I or you would engage in a conversation like this with a student, you do understand we could not continue in our jobs. Because this is deviant behaviour,» the headmaster told Postimees.

The headmaster said all the school and parents can do is provide advice and direction. «If insincere or ambiguous proposals are made, these young people need to know how to cut these conversations off.»