None of the arguments shook the conclusions of the court of first instance - Prosecutor General on the confirmation in appeal of Kosov's life sentence for the murder of a teenager on the funicular

The Kyiv Court of Appeal upheld the legality of Artem Kosov's sentence – life imprisonment for the murder of 16-year-old Maksym Materukhin. This was announced by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Ruslan Kravchenko, who added that "it is impossible to bring Maksym back, but a just punishment for the killer is our duty to the victim's family and a guarantee that the law is the same for everyone," UNN reports.

The defense's appeal regarding the reclassification of the crime to manslaughter due to negligence was rejected. The court re-examined the evidence insisted upon by Kosov's lawyers. None of the arguments shook the conclusions of the court of first instance.

According to the Prosecutor General, moreover, the re-examined evidence only confirmed that the conflict was provoked by the accused, his actions were aggressive and hooliganistic, and the victim's bodily injuries were a direct consequence of Artem Kosov's deliberate actions.

During the events on the territory of the Kyiv funicular, neither Maksym Materukhin nor his friends insulted or humiliated Artem Kosov or other attendees. They did not show any animosity or hostility towards any of the passengers, and even less so towards the convicted person. At the same time, the status of a military serviceman of the State Protection Department and the state of alcoholic and drug intoxication only increase the degree of responsibility before society.

The Prosecutor General emphasized that the sentence of life imprisonment imposed by the court is fair, justified, and corresponds to the gravity of the crime.

This is about the irretrievably lost life of a child. It is impossible to kill a child and then hope for a light punishment. It is impossible to bring Maksym back, but a just punishment for the killer is our duty to the victim's family and a guarantee that the law is the same for everyone. Thank you to everyone who fought for justice in the name of the bright memory of an innocent victim of cruelty. We continue to work.

Context

On April 8, 2024, Artem Kosov was notified of suspicion of intentional murder of a teenager. As established by the investigation, the incident occurred at the upper station of the funicular, which leads to the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. Kosov, being intoxicated, began to harass a group of teenagers, among whom was Maksym Materukhin. Kosov pushed the 16-year-old boy, who died from the impact of the fall.

On September 22, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv sentenced Artem Kosov to life imprisonment for the murder of Materukhin on the funicular. The prosecution requested the highest penalty for the accused. At that time, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko stated that the prosecution in the case of the murder of a teenager on the capital's funicular was ready for an appeal.

Addition

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko expressed the initiative on the need to introduce an unalternative punishment in the form of life imprisonment for particularly serious crimes against children. He appealed to the law enforcement committee of the Verkhovna Rada with a proposal to support the relevant initiative and introduce such punishment for the murder and rape of children.

Today, life imprisonment is provided for in exceptional cases; mostly, it refers to a punishment of 15 years of imprisonment, sometimes with the possibility of reducing the term of serving the sentence.

It should be added that the prosecutor's office is actively seeking the most severe sentence - life imprisonment for serious crimes against children.