The former head of the course of the Academy of Ground Forces will be tried for beating and humiliating cadets: DBR

SBI investigators completed the pre-trial investigation in the case of the former head of the course of one of the faculties of the National Academy of Land Forces named after Hetman Petro Sahaidachny in Lviv. The indictment has already been sent to the court, informs press service of the department.

In June of this year, in cooperation with the SBU, the officer was charged with suspicion. For almost two years, he used physical violence and morally humiliated the cadets, trying to “educate” them in discipline. The incidents took place both on the territory of the academy in Lviv and in the barracks of one of the villages of the region. The cadets were so intimidated that they kept silent about the abuse and did not inform their relatives or psychologists. These methods became known only in March 2024, when one of the cadets who witnessed the violence filed a complaint with the investigative commission of the Verkhovna Rada. This became the impetus for the initiation of criminal proceedings.

The investigation established that the officer beat nine cadets on the head and other parts of the body, using not only his hands, but also the butt of the weapon and a belt. The reason for such violence could be even minor violations, such as untimely filling of documents or carelessly packed things. He forced one of the cadets to eat cigarettes in public because he was late for line-up due to smoking.

The court, at the request of the SBI, chose a preventive measure for the suspect in the form of detention with the possibility of posting bail. The officer paid bail in the amount of UAH 908.4 thousand.

He is accused of violence against subordinates, committed under martial law (Part 5 of Article 426-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The sanction of this article provides up to 12 years of imprisonment.

Procedural management of the case is carried out by the Lviv Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in the field of defense of the Western region.