The founder of a rehabilitation centre has been arrested in Vinnytsia on charges of child abuse
This has been reported by the Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor’s Office
The modus operandi: manipulation and intimidation
The Christian Centre, established in 2006, was positioned as a safe haven for children in difficult life circumstances. However, the founder, exploiting his status as a ‘spiritual mentor’ and educator, created a system of severe psychological pressure.
The investigation established that from each new group of children (ranging from 25 to 50 people), the suspect selected victims from among girls aged between 8 and 14. He deliberately remained alone with them in the centre’s administrative and utility rooms: from offices to the boiler room. The crimes were committed even during summer trips to the countryside. To ensure the children remained silent, the man threatened them with severe punishments and exclusion from the community.
Five years of investigation and dozens of witnesses
The chain of crimes was only uncovered in 2021, when the mother of one of the 13-year-old pupils noticed changes in her child’s behaviour and contacted the police. Due to the significant time that had elapsed and the specific nature of the institution, it took law enforcement five years to gather irrefutable evidence.
The investigators carried out a titanic task:
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Dozens of former residents, now adults, were interviewed;
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A series of complex forensic examinations were carried out, confirming the facts of abuse;
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Ten officially recognised victims were identified, though the police do not rule out the possibility that the number of victims is significantly higher.
Legal consequences
The suspect has now been charged with sexual violence and the sexual exploitation of minors (Section 153(4) and Sections 156(1) and (2) of the Criminal Code).
Given the particular gravity of the offences and the risk of influencing witnesses, the court has imposed the most severe preventive measure on the suspect — detention without bail. If found guilty, the man faces the maximum prison sentence.
Please note that the names of the suspects and the names of private establishments are not disclosed prior to the court’s decision in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine and in order to protect the privacy of the child victims.
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