Teenagers sentenced for sexual violence in Russian school

Sentences aged seven to nine were handed down to boys aged 15 and 16. They were accused of sexually abusing children under the age of 14. According to Russian media, such punishments were meted out by older students for allegedly lousy behavior. Teachers at a particular school in Yekaterinburg were reportedly aware of all this.

The District Court in Yekaterinburg issued sentences for three students of closed particular school No. 124. They were accused of sexual violence against two or more minors, including a child under the age of 14.

According to the Meduza portal, one teenager was sentenced to nine years in prison, another to nine years and one month, and the third to seven years. They will serve their sentences in a juvenile correctional facility. Additionally, the court ruled that the defendants must pay compensation for moral damages to the victims—500,000 rubles each (approx. $5,000). This money will be taken from the parents' accounts of those convicted.

The teenagers deny their guilt. "We are innocent, we have nothing to hide from God and people. We will definitely appeal," said one of the defendants before the court. The E1.RU channel on Telegram published photos of the three convicted teenagers. Although their faces were blurred, a clear smile could be seen on their faces.

The children claim that the sexual abuse was filmed, and the recordings reached the principal. She organized a meeting where she scolded both the rapists (saying, among other things, "What are you doing here?") and the victim for allowing himself to be treated that way (speaking, among other things, "Couldn't you fight back?")," quotes the Meduza portal lawyer Georgy Krasnova.

Russian media report that information about the violence in the particular school came to light in April 2023. One of the students escaped and described in detail what was happening behind the walls.

He said "peer trials" were held against the school's students, mainly for bad behavior. During these trials, punishments were decided by voting. The worst punishment was physical and sexual violence. The boy claimed that "peer trials" were initiated by one of the teachers, and the "punishments" were carried out by older youths.

The trial of the 15- and 16-year-olds has been ongoing since December 2023. According to investigators, episodes of sexual violence occurred when teachers were not around. Threats and beatings accompanied them. In total, the case involves 12 episodes of violence against two students of the particular school.

In June, the court in Yekaterinburg sentenced former particular school principal Natalia Poddubna for negligence. She received an 11-month sentence of corrective labor and was deprived of the right to hold managerial positions in government agencies for two years. The principal did not admit her guilt, and according to her, the boy fabricated the whole case because he wanted to justify his bad behavior.