A 62-year-old repeat offender, Valery Krichinevsky, has been sentenced in Petropavlovsk after attacking a woman just two years after serving 25 years in prison. The court handed him nine years for attempted sexual assault, reports infohub.kz.
Krichinevsky terrorized residents of Petropavlovsk for decades. In the 1990s, he attacked women in secluded areas, committing violence and robberies. He had more than ten victims, the last being a seven-year-old schoolgirl.
Two years ago, after serving a quarter-century behind bars, Krichinevsky was released and settled in a city social adaptation center. However, in July, he attacked a woman returning from her dacha. The victim was saved by a miracle and a passerby: she called for help, the attacker was distracted, and she managed to escape.
The criminal, who was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet, was arrested immediately. The trial was held behind closed doors. He was charged with attempted sexual assault with threats of murder. Krichinevsky pleaded not guilty, claiming he only intended to rob the victim.
The sentence has not yet taken legal effect. If upheld, the attacker could be released at the age of 71.
Judge Takhmine Sobirova announced the decision: "Recognize Krichinevsky's actions as a dangerous recidivism of crimes, and sentence Valery Yevgenyevich Krichinevsky under Part 3 of Article 24, Paragraph 2 of Part 2 of Article 121 of the Criminal Code to nine years of imprisonment, to be served in a maximum-security correctional facility."