On 25 September, the Kolomyia City and District Court in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast sentenced a 50-year-old foster father to life imprisonment. The court found him guilty of sexual offences against seven girls from a family-type children’s home that had operated in the Kherson region and was subsequently evacuated to the Carpathian region. The youngest victim was 10 years old at the time of the first offence.
Briefly about the main points
- The court sentenced the 50-year-old man to life imprisonment.
- The victims in this case are seven girls from a family-style children’s home.
- The former residents contacted the police after reaching the age of majority.
- Six children were placed with other families, and the foster care service was disbanded.
- The convicted person has been banned from working with minors for three years.
Testimony from former pupils and evidence in the case
The family’s former foster children contacted the police after reaching the age of majority. According to the prosecution, their testimonies made it possible to establish that the abuse was systematic.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office reported that the case had been referred to court in November 2025. According to her, a search of the man’s computer revealed 483 photo and video files containing material depicting the sexual exploitation of children. These were added to the evidence in the criminal proceedings.
The family were evacuated from the Kherson region, and the children were placed with other families
The family-style children’s home initially operated in the Kherson region. Following the start of the full-scale invasion, the family evacuated to the Carpathian region, and from early 2024 the family-style children’s home has been operating in the Ivano-Frankivsk region.
The man was arrested in the autumn of 2025. During the investigation, six children were removed from the family and placed with other families; the family-style children’s home was closed down.
A ban on working with children and the right to appeal
The defendant did not admit guilt, but the court found him guilty of a combination of offences against the sexual freedom and integrity of children, indecent acts and an offence relating to child sexual abuse material. The court took into account the victims’ dependence on their father and carer and the authority he held over them.
In addition to the main sentence, the man was barred for three years from holding positions or carrying out activities related to the employment, upbringing, education or development of persons under the age of 18. The court also upheld the civil claims brought by the children’s representatives for compensation for non-pecuniary damage.
Until the sentence becomes final, the convicted person remains in custody. As of 12 October, the decision may still be appealed.
