A resident of the Mykolaiv region abused his children over a vegetable garden

In the Mykolaiv region, a court has sentenced a man who punished two young boys after suspecting them of damaging his crops. He was found guilty on several counts of assaulting and torturing the children.

This was reported by Intent, citing the verdict of the Vitovsky District Court.

According to the investigation, in July 2024, the man, while near his garden, suspected two boys of damaging his melon crop and decided to “teach them a lesson” on his own. He grabbed the children and began striking them with his hands, feet, and a bag belonging to one of the victims. Forensic medical examinations documented numerous bruises and hematomas. One boy was struck at least 12–16 times, the other at least 23–25 times. The injuries sustained were classified as minor bodily harm.

The violence did not stop there. The court established that the man pushed the children to the ground and, using his physical superiority, forced them to eat grass. The minor victims complied with his demands out of fear for their own safety and a desire to avoid further beatings. These actions were classified as torture.

Subsequently, the defendant dragged one of the boys into a utility shed near his house and locked him inside. The child spent approximately 20–30 minutes in the locked shed and was unable to get out on his own. The court ruled that these actions constituted the unlawful deprivation of liberty of a minor.

During the trial, the man fully admitted his guilt. He explained his actions by citing his emotional state due to damage to his garden and stated that he wanted to punish the children for allegedly picking melons and corn. He also confirmed that he forced the boys to eat grass and locked one of them in the shed.

Witnesses in the case, including the defendant’s wife and a medical professional, confirmed the circumstances of the incident. Additionally, the man’s guilt was proven by the victims’ testimony, the results of investigative experiments, expert conclusions, and other materials from the criminal proceedings.

The court found the man guilty under articles regarding intentional minor bodily injury, torture, and the unlawful deprivation of liberty of a minor. He was sentenced to three years in prison but was released from actual imprisonment with a two-year probationary period. He must also fulfill the obligations set by the probation office.

Separately, the court partially granted a civil claim filed by one of the victims. The defendant was ordered to pay 20,000 hryvnias in moral damages to the child. During the trial, it was established that the boy had suffered psychological trauma and requires psychological assistance.

In May, a court in the Mykolaiv region found a minor schoolgirl guilty of torturing another girl due to a long-standing conflict and jealousy. After the attack, the victim suffered psychological trauma and underwent treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Анна Бальчінос