Court in Odesa sentences parents to 10 years in prison for the death of a toddler

In Odesa, the court of first instance sentenced a woman and her partner to almost ten years in prison for criminal acts that led to the death of a baby.

This was reported by the press service of the National Police in Odesa region.

At the end of January this year, the body of a boy aged 1 year and 3 months was found in an apartment in the Peresypskyi district of Odesa. He lived with his one-year-old sister, his 18-year-old mother and her 44-year-old partner, who had previously served more than 12 years in prison for property crimes.

During the pre-trial investigation, investigators found that due to the mother's negligence, the child suffered thermal burns to several parts of the body, which, according to the forensic medical examination, are classified as serious bodily injuries with a high risk to life.

Despite the manifestations of the child's severe injuries, including loss of consciousness and respiratory distress, the woman and her partner did not seek medical attention. This led to the boy's death.

According to a forensic medical examination, the cause of death was a complication of burn disease, which was accompanied by the development of a fat embolism.

To conceal the child's death, the mother's drug-addled partner wrapped the body in cling film, put it in a bag and froze it in the freezer. The body remained there for about two weeks until it was discovered by the police.

The defendants were detained in accordance with the procedural procedure, and the court imposed on them a pre-trial restraint in the form of detention without bail.

According to Valentyna Istomina, deputy head of police department No. 2 of the Odesa district department, investigators have gathered enough evidence, including forensic reports. The two were charged under Part 3 of Article 135 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - leaving a person in a life-threatening condition without help, which led to death. The woman was additionally charged under Article 166 of the Criminal Code - malicious failure to fulfill parental responsibilities, which caused grave consequences, and the man - under Part 1 of Article 297 of the Criminal Code - desecration of the body of the deceased.

The indictment was sent to court, which found both men guilty of all the crimes charged. The woman was sentenced to 9 years and 8 months in prison, and her partner to 9 years and 10 months.

The pre-trial investigation was carried out by the Peresypskyi District Prosecutor's Office of Odesa, which supported the prosecution in court. The two-year-old girl, who was raised in this family, is currently under the care of her biological father.

Earlier, in Bolhradsky district, a 19-year-old partner of a 36-year-old woman severely beat her three-year-old son. The boy was taken to the hospital in an unconscious state, but he could not be saved.

Анна Бальчінос