Prosecutors of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office ensured an alternative life imprisonment for two residents of Dnipropetrovsk region who committed particularly serious crimes against children - murder and rape, as well as systematic violence.

This concerns two separate cases. In both instances, the court agreed with the prosecution's position. The sentences have entered into legal force.

Murder of a 16-year-old girl

The first crime occurred on September 4, 2023, in the city of Pyatykhatky.

The convicted man stalked the girl as she was returning home, waited until she was in a poorly lit area, and attacked. He grabbed the child, covered her mouth, raped her, and strangled her. The girl died on the spot.

After that, the attacker left the body and took her personal belongings.

The particular cynicism of this crime is heightened by the fact that the victim was acquainted with the attacker's family and personally with him.

Only during the appeal hearing did he fully admit his guilt. His actions were qualified under paragraph 10 of part 2 of Article 115, part 5 of Article 152, and part 4 of Article 185 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Prolonged violence against minors

In another case, the convicted man systematically raped and corrupted two minor stepdaughters aged 7 and 11 from November 2021 to May 2024.

The 44-year-old man also forced one of the girls to engage in sexual acts with her 9-year-old brother, previously getting the boy drunk.

He recorded all these actions on his phone.

He manipulated the children with sweets or permission to play in the yard, sometimes deceiving them and forcing them to drink alcohol so they would not resist.

During his arrest, nearly 300 photo and video files containing child pornography were found on him.

The man partially admitted his guilt. His actions were qualified under part 6 of Article 152, part 1 of Article 154, part 2 of Article 156, and parts 1, 3, 4 of Article 301-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. He has been included in the Unified Register of Persons Convicted of Crimes Against Sexual Freedom and Sexual Integrity of Minors.

Prosecutors provided a complete array of evidence in court - expert examinations, videos, witness testimonies, which fully confirmed the guilt of both convicts.

The first-instance courts recognized the men as guilty in October 2025 and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The appellate court agreed with the prosecution's position.

Moral damages were also recovered from the convicts in favor of the victims.

“Crimes against children are the most serious crimes. In these cases, life imprisonment is a response to the loss of a child's life, her pain, and the unspeakable grief of the family, as well as the broken fates of children in another family. Our position has been unwavering: the guilt is fully proven,” emphasized the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office, Valeriy Pryhozhanyv.