A court in Pavlodar Region has sentenced a 39-year-old man to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing a 6-year-old girl. The crime came to light only years later, when the grown victim contacted a psychological support service, infohub.kz reports.
According to investigators, the crime was committed in 2020. The man was a relative of the victim and had access to the home, and prosecutors allege he locked himself in a bedroom with the 6-year-old girl. Investigators say there were several instances of sexual violence.
In 2026, the defendant suddenly began writing to and calling the now-grown child. Fearing that the harassment could resume if they met, the girl decided to call a support service. The conversation was candid and ultimately led to a criminal case.
"To find him guilty of the criminal offense under Part 4 of Article 121 of the Criminal Code as amended on December 27, 2019, and to sentence him to 20 years in prison," Judge Nurlan Aitbayev of the specialized inter-district criminal court of Pavlodar Region said while reading the verdict.
The man is currently 39 years old. He admitted guilt during questioning after his arrest, but during the court hearings he categorically recanted his words, claiming he had been slandered. Nevertheless, the court concluded that there was ample evidence. The verdict has not yet entered into legal force.