A verdict was announced in Odessa in a high-profile case involving the death of a 1-year-old and 3-month-old boy, whose body was found in the freezer of an apartment in Peresyp at the end of January 2025. This was reported by the Odessa regional police.
The child's 18-year-old mother was sentenced to 9 years and 8 months in prison. Her 44-year-old roommate received 9 years and 10 months in prison. The investigation found that the child suffered severe thermal burns, but the adults did not seek medical help, although they saw the baby's critical condition - loss of consciousness and respiratory distress.
The boy died of a burn disease complicated by a fat embolism. Instead of informing doctors or law enforcement, the roommate, who was in a state of drug intoxication, wrapped the child's body in plastic wrap, put it in a bag and hid it in a freezer. There the body lay for about two weeks before the tragedy was discovered.
The mother was charged with intentional abandonment (Part 3, Article 135 of the Criminal Code) and malicious failure to fulfill parental duties (Article 166 of the Criminal Code). The husband was charged with abandonment and desecration of the body of the deceased (Part 1, Article 297 of the Criminal Code).
The two-year-old sister of the deceased boy has been transferred to the care of her biological father. Law enforcement officers emphasize that the case should serve as a reminder of the obligation to immediately seek medical help in the event of a threat to the child's life, as well as of responsibility for improper fulfillment of parental duties.
