In Volyn, law enforcement officers detained a 39-year-old woman who tried to sell her six-year-old son for $25,000. The detention operation took place in one of the institutions of Lutsk directly during the transfer of funds.
According to data of the investigation, the woman posted an ad about finding buyers for her own child, explaining this step by the desire to improve her financial situation.
“The police officers came to the woman when they saw her ad about finding customers to sell her six-year-old son in order to improve her financial situation”, the National Police of Ukraine emphasized.
A person with whom the defendant had made a deal, had previously reported the woman’s criminal intentions to law enforcement. During the investigation, it became clear that the detainee already had problems with the law: a case of theft is currently being considered in court. It was also established that after the divorce, the two older children, aged 13 and 16, remained to live with their father, while the youngest son was under the care of his mother.
“The boy was taken to a children’s center, specialists are working with him,” the police added.
Investigators of the Prosecutor General’s Office have already informed the defendant of suspicion of committing a crime under Part 3 of Article 149 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – human trafficking.
The sanction of this article provides for a severe punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of up to 15 years. The necessary procedural actions are currently underway to select a preventive measure for the detainee.
The child is safe under the supervision of doctors and psychologists. The further fate of the boy and the issue of depriving the woman of parental rights will be decided by the relevant guardianship and trusteeship bodies together with the courts. A full range of pre-trial investigations is being conducted into the fact of the offense to establish all the circumstances of the incident.
