In Kyiv, teenagers committed an attack on a National Guard serviceman, which resulted in criminal proceedings and suspicion under the article for hooliganism
The incident occurred on April 18 in the capital, at a popular leisure spot — Hydropark, where local youths engaged in assault against a military officer who was on vacation. According to the Kyiv prosecutor’s office and police, law enforcement authorities have already announced suspicion for four minors, aged 15 and 17, who directly participated in the incident. They face up to four years of imprisonment under the article that involves group hooliganism — the complexity of criminal liability for minors is specifically due to this. According to the investigation, the situation unfolded as follows: a group of local teenagers, consisting of three 17-year-old boys and one 15-year-old youth, began a conflict with the military officer in a public place. The man had come to Kyiv on his annual leave. Prior to this, they had a dispute with several other men, with whom they probably already had tense relations. During a verbal altercation, the teenagers suddenly knocked the serviceman to the ground and then struck him with their hands and feet. The incident was recorded by witnesses who filmed the attack on a mobile phone — the video is currently in the possession of investigators. The surge of emotions and aggression was quite swift and brutal, which caused public outrage and societal resonance. Law enforcement officers have already detained two of the attackers at the scene of the crime, while two others — on April 16-17 — were formally suspected and are now in custody during the pre-trial investigation, conducted by juvenile investigators of the Dnipro district police department of Kyiv. During the investigative actions, prosecutors and police officials are focusing on gathering all circumstances of the crime and holding the youths accountable. Regarding legal proceedings, the Kyiv prosecutor’s office has already filed a petition with the court to apply a preventive measure in the form of house arrest for all suspects. According to Ukrainian criminal law, the article on group hooliganism they are charged with provides for a penalty of up to four years in prison. It is worth noting that this aggressive incident continues a rather concerning trend of increasing violence among teenagers in Kyiv. The video and eyewitness testimony have raised public concern regarding levels of upbringing, supervision, and safety in the city’s public spaces. At the same time, law enforcement agencies and prosecutors call on parents and society to pay more attention to fostering respect among young people towards others, and they are also addressing legislators with proposals to strengthen responsibility for destructive behavior among minors, in order to protect citizens and prevent similar incidents in the future.