A court in Shymkent has revised the sentence of a man who had earlier escaped with a fine after being accused of molesting an eight-year-old girl in the stairwell of an apartment building, the website infohub.kz reports.
Recall that in June a trial was held in Shymkent of a 56-year-old man suspected of attacking an eight-year-old girl in a stairwell. He was reported to have touched her indecently, kissed her and tried to take her to his home. The girl, however, managed to escape. At the time, the man received only a fine of 216,000 tenge and walked free.
The prosecutor's office later appealed the sentence. A judicial panel overturned the first-instance court's ruling and sent the case materials back to the investigation stage.
According to the television channel, the fine decision sparked widespread public outcry. Now, three months later, the case has been reviewed. By court ruling, the defendant will spend 7.5 years in prison.
"Three million tenge in moral damages has been awarded to the victim," the Shymkent court's press service added.
The court's sentence has not yet entered into legal force.