The suspect has been charged. He faces a potential prison sentence of up to five years for his actions.
The incident occurred a few days ago in a village in the Odesa region. A local resident contacted the police to report that her 10-year-old son had been unlawfully detained by a 55-year-old neighbor.
During the preliminary investigation, detectives discovered that the man learned from an 11-year-old girl, whom he cares for, that her classmate allegedly hit her. Outraged, the guardian went to confront the boy, found him riding his bicycle on the street, and “taught him a lesson.” The perpetrator forcibly placed the child in the trunk of his car, bound his hands with a plastic tie, gagged him with a cloth, and slapped him several times in the face. Afterward, he took the boy to the outskirts of the village, where he had a “preventive talk” with him, before returning him to where he had picked him up.
The exact injuries inflicted on the child and the severity of those injuries will be determined by forensic experts.
Law enforcement officials arrested the man in accordance with the law and seized the vehicle, which has been placed under judicial arrest.
Having gathered sufficient evidence, investigators charged the suspect with illegal detention of a person, committed against a minor, accompanied by infliction of physical suffering. According to Part 2 of Article 146 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, this crime is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years.
The court has imposed a night house arrest as a preventive measure for the accused. The investigation is ongoing. The procedural oversight in the criminal proceedings is carried out by the Bilayaivka District Prosecutor's Office.
The police are also establishing the circumstances surrounding the conflict between the children.