Life imprisonment only: Prosecutor General calls on law enforcement committee to toughen penalties for those who take lives or rape children
Kyiv • UNN
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko appealed to the Verkhovna Rada with a proposal to toughen criminal liability for the murder and rape of children, demanding life imprisonment. He emphasized the injustice of the current legislation, which provides for up to 15 years in prison for such crimes.
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko appealed to the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement with a proposal to strengthen criminal liability for those who take the lives of or rape children, UNN reports.
For particularly serious crimes against children - only life imprisonment. No compromises. Today I appealed to the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement with a proposal to strengthen criminal liability for those who take the lives of or rape children. And I hope that the people's deputies will support our initiative.
He noted that today, for the murder of a child, the perpetrators can receive a maximum of 15 years in prison, and even a chance for early release.
In my opinion, this is unfair. And here the question is rhetorical: can any verdict be fair when a child's life, their right to grow up, to achieve something in life, has been taken away? We will never know who the children whose lives were taken by criminals could have become: world-famous football players, or brilliant scientists, drivers or law enforcement officers?
The Prosecutor General emphasized that the country has lost part of its future. And the criminal, after serving a certain term, can return to normal life.
Therefore, I believe, and it is with this that I addressed the committee members, that the sentence for such crimes should be as fair as possible - an unconditional life sentence. And here the question is not about severity, but about justice and safety. When a criminal knows that for such an act he will never be released, I am convinced that this will be a deterrent.
The Prosecutor General noted that recently, prosecutors have upheld life imprisonment in a number of high-profile cases and gave examples.
Kyiv
Murder of Maksym Materukhin.
This audacious crime on the funicular in Kyiv shook the whole country. I personally joined the case as a state prosecutor. I saw the killer's eyes: no remorse, only arrogance and belief in impunity. I saw the parents' eyes: pain, regret and despair. We achieved a verdict as close to justice as possible - life imprisonment.
Kharkiv
The head of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office proved in court the guilt of a 41-year-old man in committing crimes against the sexual freedom of a minor child. The verdict is life imprisonment.
Dnipro
The head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office provided irrefutable evidence of the guilt of a 44-year-old monster who raped and molested three minor children, for which he received life imprisonment.
In Dnipropetrovsk region, prosecutors secured life imprisonment for a man who killed a minor child and committed sexual violence.
Terrible statistics:
· in the last 19 months, 67 children have been victims of intentional homicides;
· 531 children suffered from sexual violence, 360 of whom were under 14 years old.
Each of these cases is a tragedy and unspeakable pain. This is the voice of parents and children who ask for protection. Justice must be harsh, and punishment commensurate with the crime. I ask the people's deputies to support the initiative of the Prosecutor General's Office and amend the legislation of Ukraine. A murderer or rapist should no longer count on leniency or loopholes in the law.