In Chernivtsi, a 34-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for the weekly rapes of his partner’s 13-year-old daughter

Chernivtsi Court of Appeal imposed life imprisonment on a 34-year-old resident of Chernivtsi who was found guilty of the systematic rapes of his partner’s 13-year-old daughter. The information about the verdict and the circumstances of the proceedings was published by the Office of the Prosecutor General.

According to the investigation, the man moved in with the child’s mother in August 2021. Despite having four young children, he regularly committed sexual violence against the girl, and from February to May 2024 such episodes occurred weekly.

One of the incidents took place on the victim’s birthday, when she turned 13: an attempted rape was prevented by the child’s resistance and the arrival of guests, but three days later the man carried out his criminal intent.

The abuse came to light after the mother noticed sharp changes in her daughter’s emotional state. The girl told about what happened, and the woman immediately reported it to law enforcement.

In November 2025 the Hertsaivskyi District Court found the attacker guilty and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. The prosecutor’s office disagreed with that term and filed an appeal, insisting on a harsher sentence.

The appellate court agreed with the prosecution’s arguments about the exceptional severity of the crimes and replaced the punishment with life imprisonment.

Earlier we wrote:

• In Khmelnytskyi region, stepfather detained for repeated rape of an 11-year-old
• In Kyiv region, man convicted of systematic sexual violence against an 11-year-old
• Failed to “get away with it”: stepfather-rapist received life, despite calling friends to lie in court
• Horror in Kyiv region: mother photographed her partner raping her daughter
• Raped his 6‑year‑old nephews: in Korablenyi a pedophile was sentenced to life imprisonment — but he disputes it