In Mykolaiv, a woman was sentenced to 11 years in prison for selling her own child

In Mykolaiv, a court found a woman and her partner guilty of selling their own newborn child for $10,000. The woman was sentenced to 11 years in prison, and the man to 10 years.

According to the Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, in November 2025, law enforcement received information that the couple intended to sell their child. To document the crime, the complainant was enlisted to conduct covert investigative operations.

The pregnant woman and her partner, who is the child’s father, received advance payments from the buyer—5,000 and 3,000 hryvnias, respectively. In exchange for this money, they signed receipts confirming the agreement to subsequently hand over the infant.

On January 2, 2026, the day after the birth, the parents handed the child over to the buyer and received 10,000 dollars in return. After handing over the infant, they were detained by law enforcement.

It also emerged that both defendants had previously been stripped of their parental rights—this occurred in 2024.

The court found them guilty of human trafficking, committed by a group of individuals acting in concert with the child’s parents against a minor. The woman was sentenced to 11 years in prison, and the man to 10 years.

The child has now been granted the status of a victim of human trafficking.

As Intent previously reported, in January 2026, police detained a couple who were attempting to sell their newborn baby for $10,000. According to the investigation, the motive for the crime was the desire to obtain funds to meet their own needs.

Additionally, the Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office announced the completion ofthepretrialinvestigationinto a case involving crimes against children. The investigation established and documented the recruitment of two minors for the purpose of sexual exploitation, as well as their rape.

Ірина Глухова