A high-profile case of a military serviceman being beaten by a group of teenagers is gaining publicity in Kyiv. The incident took place in one of the public recreation places — the capital’s Hydropark. Immediately after receiving the message, members of the investigative and operational team and doctors arrived at the scene. The injured serviceman was given medical assistance, the degree of severity of his injuries is not officially disclosed.
As informs police, a group of youths provoked a conflict with a man in military uniform, after which they resorted to a physical attack, knocking him to the ground and inflicting numerous blows with his hands and feet. Immediately after the incident, it was possible to quickly detain two persons involved in the case – they are 17-year-old residents of Kyiv. During the day, on April 19, the police informed about the detention of two more people – a 15-year-old boy and another 17-year-old boy. Thus, the total number of detainees at the moment is four.
The law enforcement officers stress that the investigation is currently continuing to establish the full range of persons involved in the beating. According to the investigation, the group of attackers could be more numerous than those detained. The police are working with video recordings that recorded the very moment of the attack, and are questioning eyewitnesses.
At this moment, the event is preliminarily classified as hooliganism, which entails criminal liability in accordance with Article 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The final legal qualification should be determined by investigators after the completion of initial actions and a medical opinion on the condition of the victim. According to current legislation, if found guilty, teenagers may face up to four years in prison.
In social networks, the case caused a wave of indignation – citizens emphasize that violence against the military during a full-scale war is morally unacceptable and requires a strict assessment by society and the state.
The investigation is ongoing. Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward with any information that may help identify other possible attackers.
