Editor’s Note: Due to Ukrainian law, the names of the teenagers involved in the case cannot be disclosed. After a year of court proceedings, the lawyers representing three Ukrainian teenagers convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Zakarpattia Oblast have requested the case to be closed. The boys committed the crime in 2021, recorded it on camera, and shared the video online. However, the court in western Ukraine only gave them two years of probation and a fine in March, causing public outrage. In response, several lawyers have taken on the girl’s case pro bono and are fighting for a harsher sentence. As the trial nears its end, the defense has filed a motion to close the criminal proceedings on Oct. 4, the same day as the scheduled court debates. This move has been criticized by Illia Vorobyov, an attorney representing the victim, who believes it is an attempt to delay the proceedings. The defense is using the fact that the girl did not attend all court sessions as a reason to close the case, claiming she is not supporting the prosecution. However, Vorobyov explains that the girl’s limited participation in the trial was agreed upon at the beginning of the new trial in 2023 to prevent her from being re-traumatized. The defense’s actions are seen as cynical and insensitive, as they are trying to make the girl relive the traumatic events in detail. According to the court’s statement, the girl was physically assaulted and subjected to sexual acts by the boys. The reason for the lenient sentence in 2023 was that the crime was classified as sexual violence, not rape. Under Ukrainian law, rape carries a harsher punishment than sexual violence. The only difference between the two is the act of penetration, which the court claimed did not occur.
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