Court increases sentence for father convicted of raping minor daughter

The Court of Appeal partially upheld the Attorney General's appeal and increased the prison sentence for a man found guilty of serious sexual crimes against his minor daughter.

Initially, the man faced 15 counts of indictment. Among them:

• — rape
• — three counts of sexual violence against a child
• — three more counts of sexual violence under the law on prevention of sexual exploitation of children
• — incest
• — kidnapping and unlawful detention
• — domestic violence
• — causing bodily harm
• — indecent assault and public insult

The court of first instance found him guilty on most charges, acquitting him on three counts.

The man was sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 days to 13 years. The court ruled that the sentences would run concurrently, as the crimes were viewed as a single criminal activity spanning approximately four years.

The court also ordered:

• — to place the convict under the supervision of relevant authorities for 5 years after release
• — to ban him for 10 years after release from working with children, living near children's institutions, or being in places where children regularly visit.

Appeals were filed by both the convict and the Attorney General.

The convict challenged the court's findings, including the credibility of the victim's testimony, and claimed that the delay in filing the complaint violated his right to a fair trial.

The Court of Appeal rejected these arguments, noting that the lower court correctly assessed the victim's testimony as credible and that the right to a fair trial had not been violated.

The Attorney General considered the punishment for the most serious crimes — rape and sexual violence — to be excessively lenient.

The Court of Appeal agreed with this position and increased the sentence:

— for the three main charges, the term was increased from 13 to 15 years each; the terms remain concurrent, starting from September 9, 2022.

The court emphasized that the crimes belong to the most severe category, especially considering the family relationship, abuse of trust, and psychological consequences for the victim.