Two UOC-MP monks in Kharkiv exposed for sexual crimes against girls - prosecutor's office
Kyiv • UNN
Two church representatives are suspected of producing child pornography and sexually abusing girls. The prosecutor's office is appealing the pre-trial detention measures.
Monks of the UOC (MP) who committed sexual crimes against girls have been exposed in Kharkiv, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Monday, writes UNN.
Two representatives of the UOC (MP) in Kharkiv are suspected of committing crimes against the sexual integrity of minors and against morality
According to the investigation, "a 52-year-old rassophore monk, who was responsible for baking, invited girls home under the pretext of treating them to sweets." "After the treat, the man forced them to go to the bathroom, undress, and take a shower. He photographed and videotaped the naked girls. He stored the pornography on his phone," the Prosecutor General's Office noted.
Law enforcement officers, as indicated, detained the monk in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. The head of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, Yuriy Papusha, notified him of suspicion of manufacturing and storing child pornography.
"However, during the investigation, one of the girls, aged 14, said that she had been systematically subjected to sexual acts by the man. She claimed that the suspect had plied her with alcohol so that she could not resist," the PGO reported.
After the necessary expert examinations are conducted, it is noted, the issue of additional legal qualification of the monk's actions will be decided.
"In addition, a 24-year-old hieromonk of the same church, while intoxicated, lured a 14-year-old girl into the basement of one of the monastery buildings. There, manipulating the child's trust, he committed sexual acts with the victim in an unnatural way. He was served with a notice of suspicion under Part 1 of Article 155 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," the Prosecutor General's Office stated.
As noted, "the rassophore monk was taken into custody with the right to bail of UAH 998,400, and the court ordered house arrest for the clergyman."
The prosecutor's office will appeal the decision and demand unconditional detention for both
"We are dealing with immoral crimes where children became victims. Individuals who should have been an example of spirituality and protected the weak used children's trust to satisfy their own cynical needs. Prosecutors will take all necessary measures and conduct a thorough investigation. No case of encroachment on child integrity will go unpunished," said Yuriy Papusha, head of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.
It is also noted that earlier the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office and the SBU reported suspicion to a clergyman of the same church who publicly humiliated Ukrainians and justified the armed aggression of the Russian Federation.