Justice for Children: Father Charged with Abuse

In Odesa, a 27-year-old man is facing trial for repeatedly inflicting physical harm on his young children – a two-month-old daughter and a two-year-old son.

In one instance, he caused them injuries of varying severity. He faces the prospect of imprisonment for his actions.

This information comes from the Main Department of the National Police in the Odesa region.

According to law enforcement, the incident occurred in October 2024. They established that the father had beaten his daughter every time she cried over a span of two months, attempting to 'calm' her down.

When the child's health deteriorated, her 24-year-old mother called for an ambulance. The woman stated that she 'was afraid to intervene' with her husband.

With head and body injuries, the girl was hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the Odesa Regional Children's Clinical Hospital.

'This civil couple had not previously come to the attention of the police or child services. In addition to their daughter, they have a two-year-old son, whom the father reportedly also abused. Doctors are examining the boy, and he is preliminarily diagnosed with a closed fracture of the femur,' the police reported.

A forensic examination confirmed that the children sustained various degrees of bodily harm. Specifically, the boy was diagnosed with a closed fracture of the femur, while his sister suffered multiple bruises, closed rib fractures, lung contusions, and brain injuries, leading to swelling and coma.

The children have been removed from the family and placed in a state-run children's institution.

The 27-year-old father has been charged under Part 1 of Article 121 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (intentional infliction of serious bodily injury to a child).

Investigators also initiated another proceeding under Part 1 of Article 122 of the CCU for causing moderate bodily harm to the boy.

The suspect has been ordered to be held in custody without the possibility of bail.

The indictment against him has been sent to court, where he remains in detention. He faces up to eight years in prison for his offenses.

Additionally, law enforcement has separated the materials concerning the parents under Article 166 of the CCU (malicious failure to perform duties of care for a child). The sanctions under this article provide for imprisonment of up to five years.

Previously, we reported on a 41-year-old woman in Prykarpattia who was tried for throwing her newborn child into a well.