"This verdict is about restoring trust in the justice system": Kravchenko on life imprisonment for former UDO employee Kosov

The verdict against Artem Kosov, a former employee of the State Protection Department who killed a 16-year-old boy at the capital's funicular station, is about restoring trust in the justice system, about hope for justice, and about the inevitability of punishment for crimes against children. This was stated by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Ruslan Kravchenko, as reported by UNN.

Today, after long months of struggle, we heard the verdict: former UDO employee Kosov was found guilty of intentional murder for hooligan motives of Maksym Materukhin. The punishment is life imprisonment. This decision is as close to justice as possible. As close as possible, because a child's life cannot be compared to any prison term.

The Prosecutor General added that tomorrow Maksym could have celebrated his birthday, but this will never happen, because Kosov brutally and brazenly took his life.

Today is the day that Maksym's parents and relatives, his friends, and the entire society have been waiting for. This verdict is not only about the killer. It is about restoring trust in the justice system, about hope for justice, and about the inevitability of punishment for crimes against children. I thank everyone who supported Maksym's family in their struggle. Huge thanks to the prosecutors and investigators for their colossal work, and to the court for an impartial decision.

Kravchenko is convinced that everyone who kills a child should receive the harshest punishment - life imprisonment.

Together with the heads of regional prosecutor's offices, we will continue to protect children throughout the country. So that no one even dares to look at a child with the thought of a crime. So that everyone knows: for such a crime there will be only one - the harshest punishment. A child's life is the highest value.

Addition

Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv sentenced life imprisonment to Artem Kosov, a former employee of the State Protection Department, who killed a 16-year-old boy at the capital's funicular station.

Ruslan Kravchenko represented the prosecution in this case.

Prosecutor General Kravchenko stated that everyone who committed murder or rape of a minor should receive life imprisonment.

Also today, on September 22, Prosecutor General Kravchenko announced that he would represent the prosecution in the case of former prosecutor Andriy Molochny, who caused a fatal accident in Kyiv while intoxicated.