A court in the Turkestan region has sentenced Bibinur Izbasarova, found guilty of a fatal road accident that occurred on June 6 in the city of Arys. The woman, who was driving an SUV while intoxicated, plowed at full speed into people sitting on a bench near a private house, reports infohub.kz.
As a result of the collision, a 30-year-old kindergarten teacher who was in the late stages of pregnancy, her two-year-old son, and a five-year-old neighbor girl were killed. Several other people sustained injuries of varying severity. According to the investigation, shortly before the impact, the vehicle had knocked down a fence.
Judge Marat Kuzdeubayev of the specialized inter-district criminal court read out the verdict: "The defendant Bibinur Izbasarova has been found guilty of a criminal offense under Part 4 of Article 345 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. She has been sentenced to 9 years in prison with a lifetime ban on driving vehicles."
The defendant admitted her guilt and showed remorse in the courtroom. She asked for a lighter sentence, citing that she is raising a minor daughter with a disability. The court took this into account and postponed the actual imprisonment for one year. However, the families of the deceased consider the sentence too lenient and intend to seek a harsher punishment.
"For three human lives — nine years. Is that normal? She is alive and healthy, and will walk free. And what if she has a 12-year-old child? We have a four-year-old child left without a mother. Every day when he cries, my heart breaks. Where is the justice here? We do not agree with this," said the victim Agaisha Manatova.
The court also partially satisfied the civil claims of the victims for compensation for moral and material damage. The verdict has not yet entered into legal force and may be appealed.
Recall that the tragedy occurred in June in the city of Arys, Turkestan region. Women and children were sitting on a bench near a private house when an SUV crashed into them at full speed. The people were pinned against a brick fence, which collapsed. A 29-year-old pregnant woman, her 2-year-old son, and a 5-year-old neighbor's daughter were killed. Later it turned out that the driver was a 52-year-old teacher at a local school, who, according to an expert examination, was intoxicated.