Ombudsman intervenes in case of sexual abuse of children in playground (video)

In Tashkent, a criminal case has been opened against a man who exposed himself to two underage girls. The information was confirmed by the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman.

According to the Ombudsman, a resident of Tashkent, M.O., submitted an appeal alleging that on May 13 of this year, a stranger, V.J. (born in 1977), sexually abused her daughter, O.Y. (born in 2012), and her friend L.A. at a playground in the Uchtepa district. The man reportedly committed indecent acts against the minors by exposing himself. However, the investigative body failed to handle the case in the best interests of the children.

After reviewing the investigative and court documents, the Ombudsman concluded that the case had been closed prematurely, without a full and impartial study of the circumstances or a comprehensive legal assessment.

As a result, the Ombudsman submitted a petition to the Appeals Chamber of the Tashkent City Court, requesting the cancellation of the earlier decision and that the case be returned to the district prosecutor’s office for the initiation of a criminal case. The petition emphasized that the actions involved showed clear signs of a crime against minors under the age of 16.

On September 17, the Appeals Chamber of the Tashkent City Court reviewed the case. After studying the position of the Ombudsman and the testimony of the victim, the court ruled to return the case for further investigation and to resolve the issue of initiating criminal proceedings against V.J. through the prosecutor’s office.

To ensure the child’s legal rights during the investigation, the Children’s Ombudsman also assisted the family in hiring an experienced lawyer. The Ombudsman’s office confirmed that it will continue to monitor the case to protect the best interests of the child.

It is worth noting that earlier in Tashkent, a man who committed indecent acts against girls on public transport by inappropriately touching them was detained for five days.