by Ivan Runev
[REGNUM]
At the end of January, a series of criminal cases related to sexual acts against minors were opened in Russia.The victims are natives of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, living in our country and having citizenship. The suspects are their fellow countrymen, who after moving to Russia brought here their "traditions", including intimate relations with underage girls. Now the foreign citizens are facing long prison terms.
Today, according to the law in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, you can marry from the age of 18. But in remote villages, where customs often prevail over the law, early marriages are still common. According to ancient customs, parents can marry off their daughters as early as 13-14, and in some cases, as early as 12. At the same time, girls do not even know who will become their husband - the marriage issue is decided by families.
The authorities of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are trying to eradicate “child marriages”, but some natives of these countries still perceive them as the norm and a guide to action.
PORN WITH A 15 YEAR OLD
The first high-profile story occurred in Khimki, Moscow Region. In mid-January, law enforcement officers established that 20-year-old Tajik citizen Sunnatullo M. was producing and distributing pornographic materials with the participation of 15-year-old compatriot Madina R. ( name changed ).
The victim, a schoolgirl, is a native of Tajikistan, permanently resides in Khimki and has Russian citizenship. The suspect, Sunnatullo, is a citizen of Tajikistan and has temporary registration in Moscow. The man works as an excavator operator in one of the largest Russian companies in the field of housing construction and development.
The incident took place back in July 2024, but it only became known now. Police detained Sunnatullo on suspicion of indecent assault (Part 1 of Article 135 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - up to three years in prison) against a 15-year-old girl.
The investigation established that a citizen of Tajikistan filmed porn with Madina, after which he sent the videos via messenger and published them on social networks.
On January 16, the Investigative Committee of Russia opened another criminal case against the suspect under Part 1 of Article 242.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - production and circulation of materials with pornographic images of minors. Under this charge, the man faces up to eight years in prison.
MOVIES WITH A SEQUEL
On January 4, a police department in Moscow received a report that an adult man had committed sexual acts against 14-year-old Zulfiya I. ( name changed ). The girl is a native of Tajikistan and received Russian citizenship in November 2023. She lives in Moscow and is an 8th-grader at one of the capital's schools.
Law enforcement officers identified and detained the suspect. He turned out to be 20-year-old unemployed native of Tajikistan Shokhjakhon H. He has a residence permit in Russia until 2027, registered in the Moscow region.
The victim said that last October, a man saw her on the street and approached her. The schoolgirl was embarrassed and wanted to leave, but he was persistent. The girl told Shokhjakhon that she was only 14 years old, but this did not bother him: the man persuaded Zulfiya to give him her phone number. The next two weeks, the man wrote and called the girl, trying to get closer.
On October 15, Shokhdzhakhon invited Zulfiya to come to his home to "watch a movie." The schoolgirl was hesitant, but the man managed to persuade her. Zulfiya arrived at one of the apartment buildings on Dmitrovskoe Highway in Moscow. Shokhdzhakhon met her, led her into the apartment, locked the door and turned on the TV. After that, the man began to openly harass the girl and took off her clothes.
“The detainee committed sexual acts against the schoolgirl without using violence,” a source in law enforcement agencies told IA Regnum.
Apparently, the girl was simply afraid and could not say “no” to an adult, persistent man – hence the wording “without the use of violence.”
The man was detained. On January 17, investigators opened a criminal case against Shokhdzhakhon under the articles on indecent acts against a person under the age of sixteen (Part 1 of Article 135 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and on sexual intercourse and other acts of a sexual nature with a person under the age of sixteen (Part 1 of Article 134 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Shokhdzhakhon faces up to three and up to four years of imprisonment, respectively.
DRIVEN TO SUICIDE ATTEMPT
On January 19, the police of St. Petersburg received a message from doctors at a children's psychiatric hospital. The doctors reported that a 15-year-old native of Uzbekistan, Gulnara U. ( name changed ), had been urgently delivered to them. The girl had been hospitalized in one of the psychiatric departments after a suicide attempt, with a diagnosis of "Acute stress reaction."
As a source in law enforcement agencies told IA Regnum, the girl told doctors that the day before she had entered into intimate relations with three adult men. Again, as in the case of 14-year-old Zulfiya, formally everything happened without the use of physical violence. But after what happened, the girl experienced severe stress and attempted to commit suicide. Fortunately, the child was saved. Doctors are currently working with her.
Law enforcement officers identified three suspects who had persuaded the girl to have intimate relations. They turned out to be Gulnara's fellow countrymen, citizens of Uzbekistan: 20-year-old Kahramon E., 21-year-old Yakhyo F., and 23-year-old Ilesbek I. The police are currently searching for them. It is known that all three live in St. Petersburg and have temporary registration there.
The police are currently conducting an investigation, and the information has been forwarded to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for St. Petersburg.
MOVED, BUT DIDN'T REBUILD
In all three cases described above, the male suspects knew the girls were underage, but that didn't stop them.
Having moved to Russia, some foreigners were unable to adapt or assimilate – they still internally adhere to the customs and traditions of their homeland, a source in law enforcement agencies told IA Regnum.
According to him, foreigners who have moved to Russia may know the laws of our country and understand that they may face criminal liability for certain actions.
“But when the situation concerns their relationships with their fellow countrywomen, it seems to them that Russian laws do not apply to this: if a girl is from a Tajik or Uzbek family, then she can be treated as is customary in the remote villages of Tajikistan or Uzbekistan.
This is also evidenced by the fact that when such criminals are detained, they sincerely do not understand why they were arrested and what bad they did,” the agency’s source notes.
He also believes that girls who have moved to Russia and even have Russian citizenship do not always understand how to properly respond to signs of attention from adult men. Their mentality and folk traditions forbid them from contradicting men, and they often do not know how to say a firm "no" and defend themselves.