A court in Mykolaiv found a mother guilty of attempting to sell her child

<span><span><span><span><span><span>In Mykolaiv, a woman and her partner were sentenced for attempting to sell their newborn child. The infant’s mother was sentenced to 11 years in prison without confiscation of property, and the father was sentenced to 10 years in prison without confiscation of property.</span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>This was reported by Intent, citing the verdict of the Zavodskyi District Court of Mykolaiv. </span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>The transfer of $10,000 for the infant took place near the Mykolaiv City Council’s Municipal Non-Profit Enterprise “Maternity Hospital No. 3.” Shortly thereafter, law enforcement officers detained the child’s mother with the money. </span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>The couple had planned to sell the infant while the woman was still pregnant. To this end, the couple began looking for someone interested in buying the child. Another woman accidentally learned of this while visiting the facility. She heard that the couple was in a difficult situation and asked for their contact information. Subsequently, arrangements were made, and an advance payment as well as the main sum for the child were transferred. The potential buyer filed a report with the police regarding the couple’s intentions to sell the infant. </span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>The infant’s mother did not admit guilt regarding the charges brought against her. She claimed that she had been the victim of a setup and asked the court to acquit her. The defendant explained her actions by citing her difficult life circumstances. The woman lacked the financial means and adequate living conditions to raise the child, which is why she decided to place her daughter in the care of another person. In this way, she said, she sought to prevent the infant from ending up in an orphanage. </span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>The defendant emphasizes that she repeatedly asked the potential buyer whether this involved the legal transfer of custody of the child. According to her, she received an affirmative answer each time. However, on the day of discharge from the maternity hospital, the woman did not provide an official document from social services regarding the transfer of the child into custody. Instead, she asked the defendant to sign a statement renouncing the child and waiving any future claims. </span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>The child’s father fully admitted his guilt. He stated that he had no intention of personal enrichment. According to him, his intention was to place the child in the care of a well-off family. He spent the advance funds he received on food and on purchasing narcotics.</span></span></span></span></span></span>

In Mykolaiv, a court also punished a supporter of the “Russian World” for posts on Telegram. According to the investigation, between 2023 and 2025, the woman used the messaging app to post comments and share messages in which she endorsed the occupation of Ukrainian territories, denied Russian troops’ responsibility for strikes on civilian targets, and called Russian servicemen “heroes.” During the trial, the defendant fully admitted her guilt. She stated that she had changed her views after seeing the consequences of the Russian bombings. 

Юлія Калабайда