A jiu-jitsu coach in Kyiv is on trial for violence against female students, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko reported on social media on Tuesday, UNN writes.
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"Protecting children is the duty of the state. My position as Prosecutor General remains unchanged: for crimes against minors – the maximum punishment. No exceptions and no compromises. Especially when the abuser is a person the child trusted," Kravchenko noted.
He also reported on another case in Kyiv.
"A 37-year-old professional athlete, a children's Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach, is accused of sexual violence against underage female students," Kravchenko wrote.
The man, as indicated, conducted individual lessons for children. "Parents brought their 11-year-old daughter to him, hoping for the child's development and socialization. Instead, she became a victim right during the classes," the Prosecutor General noted.
"Left alone with the girl, the coach committed sexual violence and later repeated it again. He purposefully exploited the child's trust and vulnerability. Due to her age, the girl simply did not understand what was happening, and the coach assured her that there was nothing wrong with his actions, while keeping what he had done hidden," the Prosecutor General reported.
"He was exposed thanks to a hidden camera in the gym during another attempt to commit abuse. Due to the publicity of the case, another victim recognized him – a former student from Zaporizhzhia. He committed the first crimes back in 2017. For eight years, he remained unpunished. While abroad, she dared to speak out about the violence she suffered from this coach, also at the age of 11," the Prosecutor General said.
The actions of the accused are qualified as committing lewd acts against a minor, as well as sexual violence against a person under the age of fourteen, committed repeatedly (Part 2 of Art. 156 and Part 6 of Art. 152 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). "The man is currently in custody. The trial is ongoing," Kravchenko indicated.
"Despite the available testimony and video evidence, he does not plead guilty. This is typical behavior; abusers always deny everything until the end, but it will not help him," the Prosecutor General noted.
"Crimes against children must receive the harshest possible response, so that no adult even considers harming a child. We are consistently moving towards this and will achieve it. Accountability is inevitable. We continue our work," Kravchenko emphasized.