In Khmelnytskyi region, a court sentenced a resident of Shepetivka district to life imprisonment for repeatedly committing sexual violence against his underage stepdaughter in 2022. The man lived with the family and exploited the child's vulnerability and trust.

The pre-trial investigation established that in June and September, the convicted man raped the girl while she was sleeping, in the presence of his other minor child. In December of the same year, attempting to overcome her resistance, he held a cloth with a strong smell to the girl's face, causing her to lose consciousness, after which he raped her again. The victim sustained minor bodily injuries.

During a search of the convicted man's residence, a significant amount of ammunition and explosives, which he was illegally storing, was seized.

In court, the man did not admit his guilt and tried to evade responsibility, including through false testimonies from close acquaintances. However, the prosecution refuted these claims and fully proved his guilt. Under the procedural guidance of the prosecution, evidence of the repeat nature and circumstances of the crimes was collected, and a number of forensic examinations were conducted.

The public prosecution was supported by the head of the Khmelnytskyi regional prosecutor's office, who insisted on the harshest punishment.

The court found the man guilty of the articles concerning the repeated rape of a minor child in family relations (part 4, 6 of Article 152 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), as well as for the illegal possession of ammunition and explosives (part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The final sentence is life imprisonment.

“Life imprisonment is a just punishment for a person who has repeatedly committed sexual crimes against a minor child. We, as the prosecution, made every effort to ensure that the rapist received the maximum penalty,” said the head of the Khmelnytskyi regional prosecutor's office, Anton Kovalskyi.