An investigation is underway in the Odesa region into the brutal beating of a 12-year-old boy by teenagers
The Odesa Regional Police have opened a criminal investigation into the torture of a 12-year-old boy by his fellow villagers. Law enforcement officers discovered the abuse while monitoring social media, where a video of the beating—which took place in July of this year—had been posted. The victim himself did not tell anyone about his attackers’ actions.
Investigators have identified three teenagers—a 14-year-old and two 17-year-olds—as being involved in the crime. Information regarding this incident has been entered into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations under Part 2 of Article 127 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (torture). The investigation is currently ongoing, and law enforcement officials will assess the legal implications of each participant’s actions.
Source: Odesa Regional Police.
Last year in Ukraine, law enforcement recorded 285 cases of bullying in educational institutions. Throughout the school year, the police filed an average of about 32 administrative reports per month due to incidents of bullying among children.
The number of administrative reports for bullying in schools and universities has increased in Ukraine.
As a reminder, in December 2018, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law providing for penalties for “bullying”—the harassment of children in educational institutions. According to the law, not only those who engage in bullying but also educators who ignore such incidents are held accountable for these offenses.
