In Lutsk, a mother sold her 6-year-old son for $25,000
The child has been temporarily placed in a shelter; proceedings under Part 3 of Article 149 of the Criminal Code are underway, and the work of social services is also being reviewed
In the Volyn region, law enforcement detained a 38-year-old woman who, according to the investigation, is suspected of attempting to sell her own six-year-old son for 25 thousand dollars; the operation was carried out under police control in Lutsk on 17 April 2026. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
Investigators established that after the divorce the suspect lived with her youngest son, while the two older children remained with their father. According to law enforcement, the woman did not want to continue caring for the child and decided to sell him.
In March of this year she, as the investigation believes, found a potential “buyer” and agreed on the terms with him. The man who was offered to buy the child contacted law enforcement, after which all subsequent actions took place under the control of operatives.
The Office of the Prosecutor General report provides the following circumstances:
“In March 2026 the suspect found a buyer and agreed to transfer the child for 25 thousand dollars. The man who was offered to purchase the child contacted law enforcement. The sale of the boy took place on 17 April 2026 in the city of Lutsk under the supervision of law enforcement officers. Immediately after receiving the money the woman was detained.”
After her arrest the woman was notified of suspicion under part 3 of Article 149 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — trafficking of a minor child. The court imposed pretrial detention.
Separately, law enforcement noted that they will provide a legal assessment of the actions of social service workers, since the child was on record.
The six-year-old boy is currently placed in a children’s shelter and is under the supervision of guardianship authorities.
Earlier we wrote:
- Kidnapped an acquaintance with her baby and opened fire on police: details of a high-profile crime in Zakarpattia
- Partied all night while her children were dying: Mykolaiv court arrested a drunk mother
- Deferment from military service through fake guardianship of children: scheme uncovered in Mykolaiv region
- Social services in Mykolaiv rescued children from a negligent mother
