In one of the villages of Stryi district, a 75-year-old local resident is suspected of committing indecent acts against his 11-year-old girl neighbour. This was reported on the basis of the investigation data of the Stryi District Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the investigation, the incident took place in June this year. In the evening, while it was still light, the 11-year-old child was riding her bicycle along the street when her neighbour called out to her and offered her a treat. As the girl had known this man for a long time, she went into his house.
When the child crossed the threshold, the man locked the door from the inside. Taking advantage of her helplessness and fear, he allegedly forced the girl to undress and committed indecent acts against her to satisfy his own sexual desire. The child was in the suspect’s home for approximately 20 minutes.
The girl began to cry and scream loudly. Her cries were heard by her teenage brother, who had noticed his sister’s sudden disappearance and had started searching for her. The boy called their mother, and together with a fellow villager they broke down the door of the house and led the child out.
Law enforcement officers who arrived at the scene detained the man under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. Under the procedural guidance of the Stryi District Prosecutor’s Office, he has been notified of suspicion of committing indecent acts against a young child under Part 2 of Article 156 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. At the request of the prosecution, the court chose a preventive measure in the form of remand in custody without the right to bail.
“Protecting children is our shared priority, so it is important to teach children safety rules openly, because an abuser can be of any age or degree of acquaintance. In cases of violence, seeking help is always the right and courageous step,” noted the prosecutor in the proceedings, Anatolii Kruchok.
The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings is being carried out by the Stryi District Police Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv region.
Pursuant to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and may not be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt has been proved in accordance with the procedure established by law and confirmed by a guilty verdict of the court.