Former director of the Molodyi Theater Bilous, suspected of sexual violence against female students, released from pretrial detention center - lawyers
Kyiv • UNN
Former director of the Molodyi Theater Andrii Bilous was released from pretrial detention after bail was posted. He is suspected of sexual violence against female students.
Former director and artistic director of Kyiv’s Young Theatre, Andrii Bilous, who is suspected of sexual violence against female students, was released from pretrial detention on October 2 after bail was posted. This was reported by UNN, citing the director’s lawyers and case materials.
Earlier, the court reduced the amount from almost UAH 5 million to UAH 1.3 million.
Details
Bilous’s defense lawyers reported his release from the pretrial detention center. Earlier, the court ordered that the director remain in custody but set bail as an alternative preventive measure. Initially, the bail amount was UAH 4.992 million. The defense appealed the decision, stating that Bilous’s family was unable to provide such a sum. At the end of September, it became known that the bail amount had been reduced to UAH 1.3 million. This was reported, in particular, by the director’s wife, Iryna Bilous. After the funds were deposited, he left the pretrial detention center.
At the same time, release on bail does not mean that the criminal proceedings have been discontinued. Bilous must comply with the procedural obligations set by the court, and the case is ongoing.
What Bilous is accused of
Andrii Bilous was notified of the suspicion in October 2025. The criminal case materials were subsequently transferred to court.
According to investigators, starting in 2017, Bilous allegedly used his authority in the theater community, as well as his status as a lecturer and theater director, to sexually harass female students and commit violent acts against them. Five injured parties are involved in the case. According to investigators, two of them were minors at the time the alleged offenses were committed. Bilous is charged with criminal offenses under Parts 2 and 3 of Article 152, as well as Parts 1 and 2 of Article 153 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. These concern rape and sexual violence under aggravating circumstances.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement officers questioned the injured parties and dozens of witnesses, conducted searches, and seized mobile devices and other physical evidence. The prosecutor’s office had previously stated that witnesses reported sexualized behavior, demands to send intimate photographs, sexually explicit correspondence, and physical harassment.
In addition, according to the prosecution, psychological examinations documented trauma-related consequences in the injured parties.
The defense’s position
Andrii Bilous himself denies the accusations against him. He previously stated that he had caused no one physical or moral harm and described the situation as a campaign aimed at discrediting him. According to the man, his relationships with the people involved in the case were friendly and based on trust.
The director’s lawyers also drew attention to certain procedural aspects of the case. In particular, the defense claimed that some materials from covert investigative actions had been destroyed and that they may have contained information important to the defense’s position.
The prosecution, for its part, insisted that Bilous needed to remain in custody because of possible risks of influencing the injured parties or witnesses or obstructing justice.
How the scandal unfolded
The public controversy surrounding Andrii Bilous began in early 2025. In January, former student Sofiia Sapozhnyk stated that the director had allegedly asked her to send intimate photographs, discussed sexual fantasies with her, and forwarded images of other female students. After that, new public testimonies from other women emerged. The Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television announced that it was conducting an internal investigation and had forwarded the relevant information to law enforcement authorities.
Against the backdrop of the scandal, Bilous was suspended from teaching and temporarily removed from managing the Young Theatre. In March 2025, after the suspension period ended, he returned to work at the theater, prompting protests from some members of the theater community. In May, Bilous submitted a resignation from the position of director and artistic director of the Young Theatre by mutual agreement. At the time, he explained his decision by saying that he wanted to reduce tensions within the organization.