A trial has begun in Karaganda for a former police major charged in connection with the death of a 23-year-old woman whose body was found in a local police officer's office. The court ruled that the case will be heard behind closed doors, infohub.kz reports.

The dead woman's mother and aunt attended the hearing. According to the KTK television channel, they are represented by the regional prosecutor's office.

Before proceedings began, the defendant's lawyer, Aset Tubekov, requested that the trial be closed, citing information in the case file about the private lives of his client and the deceased woman.

"I ask that the court hold a closed trial, since the case materials contain intimate details concerning my client and the victim, as well as private correspondence," Tubekov said.

The judge granted the request and asked journalists to leave the courtroom. The victim's relatives, by contrast, had asked that media representatives be allowed to attend the proceedings.

The tragedy occurred last September. At around 10 p.m., the naked body of the 23-year-old woman was found in the local police officer's office. A 36-year-old police major was found unconscious in the adjoining office.

According to KTK, reports at the time suggested the officer and the woman had used drugs and may have died of drug poisoning. It was also reported that the deceased woman had visited the police station repeatedly. According to the television channel, police leadership neither confirmed nor denied this information.

After the local officer regained consciousness, he was dismissed and placed in a detention facility.

The deceased woman left behind a five-year-old son. Her relatives believe the former officer abused his position and are demanding compensation.

"She couldn't go anywhere without her mother's permission. He summoned her and brought her to that state. Apparently he took advantage of her and did such things. Let him pay compensation. The child has been left an orphan, searches for his mother every day and cries," a relative of the deceased woman said.

After the incident, several police officers in Karaganda and the regional department were disciplined. They received severe reprimands, and the head of the district police department was dismissed.

According to KTK, a criminal case was opened under Article 370 of the Criminal Code — "Inaction in service." The television channel reports that, given the grave consequences, the punishment could be up to seven years in prison.

The dead woman's mother fears the defendant will receive too lenient a sentence. The rest of the proceedings will take place behind closed doors.