Rape in Kagarlyk: the court sentenced former policemen who abused a woman

“When Nelya did not agree to confess to something that was not there, he put a gas mask on her and began to choke”

As for 26-year-old Nelya, in May 2020, one of the policemen summoned her for questioning in the case of the robbery of a rural store. Nelya herself had nothing to do with the store or its robbery, but then she was in the same company with the man who allegedly stole a bottle from the store. Nelya herself, later telling about what happened, said that this interrogation was just an excuse to lure her to the police station. The policeman who called her there had previously pursued her and even threatened her with rape. During the so-called interrogation, he immediately stated peremptorily that “she was in that store”, and when Nelya did not agree to admit what was not there, he put a gas mask on her and began to choke her. Then his colleague came and they started beating Nelya together. They broke her nose, did not let her go to the toilet (as a result of which the woman wet herself), threatened with weapons. Then a third policeman came and raped her.

“Kolya (one of the accused. - Auth.) took me to the office, where they put on a gas mask. Beat again. Then he led me to the toilet: “Wash yourself.” But there was no water, so I simply wiped the blood off with my sleeve. At about two o’clock in the morning, Kolya left somewhere, and he took me to Sergei’s office. (second defendant. - Auth.) Please do whatever you want with her. He turned off the light, slammed the door and said: “Take off your clothes.” “I won’t,” I said. - I want to go home”. - “No, you will undress!” Sergei gave me a slap in the face. He took off his clothes, sat on the sofa and said: “You will do what I say.” And he started raping me…Nelya told terrible details that night.

The pre-trial and judicial investigation lasted three years. During this time, Nelya received threats more than once, the woman was forced to ask for state protection.

“When I turned to the prosecutor’s office, I met the chief of police there, who told me: “No one will help you here.”

Meanwhile, some other residents of Kagarlik said that they were also subjected to torture by these police officers. For example, one local resident anonymously told reporters that her husband was severely beaten by these police officers: “The man had a hematoma on his head, he could not raise his arm. The policemen threw him out of the car and kicked him. But when I turned to the prosecutor’s office, I met the chief of police there, who told me: “No one will help you here.”.

Read also: “Invaders climbed out of the skin to catch the“ guard Yarosh ”, so my sister and I were taken to prison”: how the FSB hunted Ukrainian underground fighters

The defendants categorically objected to their guilt, calling the accusations far-fetched, and the investigation biased and biased. Two were accused of beating and raping Nelya Pogrebitskaya - at that time the 35-year-old head of the criminal police sector Kagarlika (married, father of two minor sons) and the 29-year-old detective (also married, shortly before the attack on Nelya became a father). Three more of their colleagues were on other episodes.

Just a few weeks ago, it turned out that two of the five defendants (not accused of rape) suddenly decided to mobilize into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Such a sudden decision (made by them right on the eve of the court verdict) provoked criticism from the victim’s lawyer and the public - few people believed that the former policemen were doing this to protect the country, and not corny to avoid responsibility for their crimes.

“I do not believe that two of the accused, who mobilized a week before the court went into deliberation, went to the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with a sense of duty to defend the state. For three years, I observed their behavior in the courtroom. And I can’t call it anything other than “waiting for the right moment”, I can’t … It triggers me very much that the military service is manipulated in this way“, Anna Kalinchuk said.

Read also: She beats me. Help me”: social services took away 12-year-old daughter from Ukraine’s oldest mother before court decision

The third defendant, by the way, also mobilized, but he did it earlier, more than a year ago.

“During these three years, Nelya Pogrebitskaya, as a victim, had to go through seven circles of hell”

Lawyers Nelya Pogrebitskaya Anna Kalinchuk and Elena Sotnik reported that two of the accused (remaining in custody all this time) were found guilty by the court under all articles of the Criminal Code, for which they were suspected.

“More importantly, Nelya’s civil lawsuit against the National Police was satisfied- said Elena Sotnik. - This means that Nelu should receive one million two hundred thousand hryvnias in moral compensation. This is important and very indicative - including for further such cases. I hope the sentence will prevent such cases.”.

Elena Sotnik suggested that the convicts would certainly appeal. But she expressed hope that the Court of Appeal would approach the consideration of the case objectively and fairly.

Read also: She beat and strangled children: how a dentist from Rivne, about which the whole country was talking, escaped punishment

Earlier, Elena Sotnik said that during these three years, Nelya Pogrebitskaya, as a victim in a criminal case, had to go through seven circles of hell.

“A three-year process: first, endless investigative actions, examinations, interrogations. Then there are court hearings where, frankly, I would wish anyone to be a victim: the jokes of the accused, some defense lawyers who do not have a minimum of empathy in dealing with a victim who has suffered violence. They see only one thing in their work - to work out in favor of the accused at any cost. And the fact that a person suffered few people care.

Even now I can assert and loudly state this: until the approaches to the process of sexual violence cases change and the state does not put the victims in the center, does not exclude numerous traumatizing and retraumatized factors, the victims in the majority will not apply.

Even I, a lawyer, a lawyer, after going through all this next to my client, would have thought a hundred times if I was ready for something like this.- Elena Sotnik wrote on Facebook.

Answering a question about how Nelya is now, Elena Sotnik wrote: “It seems to me that she still does not believe that such an important decision was made after all.“.

Earlier wrote, in a Kiev kindergarten they tortured kids: “They closed the children in the closet and wrapped them with tape.”

In the photo in the header: the defendants in the dock