Russia: A wave of sympathy for the sisters who killed the father

Russia: A wave of sympathy for the sisters who killed the father

Russia: A wave of sympathy for the sisters who killed the father: In July 2018, three teenage sisters killed their father with a knife and hammer in a flat in the Russian capital, Moscow.

Investigations into the case have confirmed that the father of the girl had been involved in physical and psychological violence with his daughters for many years.

The sisters are now facing murder charges.

In Russia, the topic nowadays is what to do with these sisters? So far more than three million people have signed their release petition.

What happened to dad

On the evening of July 27, 2018, 57-year-old Mikhail Khattacharyan invited his daughters Christina, Angelina, and Maria to their room. 17-year-old Maria was a minor at the time.

They scolded him for not properly cleaning the flat and sprayed peppers on their faces.

Immediately after the incident, when the girls' father fell asleep, the three sisters attacked him with a knife, hammer and a spray of peppers. The attack left fatal wounds to his head, neck, and chest. He had more than 30 knife wounds on his body.

The sisters then called the police, who arrested them from the flat.

Subsequent investigations soon revealed that the family had an old history of domestic violence. During the last three years, Mikhail not only regularly beat his daughters, but he also kept the three sisters taken prisoner. The girls were also sexually abused.

Evidence of this nature has also been presented against the deceased father in the crime charged with the sisters.

Domestic Violence Center Sight

The case soon became a controversial form in Russia, which received public attention. Human rights activists took the stand that girls were not criminals but guilty because they had no means of protection and protection from their abusive father.

Russia does not have a law protecting domestic violence victims.

Under the legal changes introduced in 2017, the first person in Russia to commit violence for the first time on a family member should not be so violent that his victim needs to be hospitalized. Can be punished with only fines or up to a maximum of two weeks.

In Russia, police view domestic violence as a 'family issue', and victims are provided with little or no help at all.

Many years ago, the sisters' mother requested police help against the violence committed by her husband. Similar requests were made by his neighbors, who were very scared of Mikhail. However, there is no evidence that all these individuals were provided any assistance from the police.

The mother of the girls was also subjected to torture and beatings by her husband in the past.

When Mikhail was killed, the girls' mother was no longer with them, and Mikhail had stopped the three sisters from contacting their mother.

According to psychological studies, girls were living in isolation and suffering from traumatic stress (PTSD).

What happened in the investigation?

The case of these sisters gradually progressed. They are no longer in custody, but they are subject to certain restrictions. They can't talk to journalists, nor to each other.

Prosecutors insist that Mikhail was assassinated under a deliberate plan because he was asleep and his sisters planned it regularly. He said his intention was revenge.

If the charges against these girls are proved, they could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. The allegations are that Angelina had a hammer, Maria had a hunting knife, and Christina had a pepper spray.

Girls' lawyers, on the other hand, say they took the initiative under self-defense. In fact, self-defense is allowed under the criminal laws in Russia, not only of immediate aggression but also of "persistent crime." Continued crime such as a hostage situation in which the victim/person is tortured.

Lawyer Cleaning insists that the sisters were subjected to 'constant crime' so they should be released. The lawyers of the sisters hope the case can be dropped because the investigation confirmed that Mikhail Sinha had been abusing his daughters since 2014.

Human rights activists and many Russian citizens now want a change in the law. They want state-funded shelters, prevention orders and initiatives such as creating courses to combat abuse and aggression introduced into society.

What is the nature of domestic violence in Russia?

The exact figures for how many women are victims of domestic violence in Russia are not available, only estimates. According to human rights activists, one in every four families is a victim of domestic violence.

Many other large cases of this kind have become media admirers. Such cases include the case of Margareta Grishayeva, whose husband cut off his hands with the help of an ax because of jealousy.

Some experts say that 80 percent of the women imprisoned for murder in Russia's prisons are women who, in their defense, killed domestic violence victims.

The reaction against these sisters has also been seen in the conservative sections of Russian society. An organization called Men's State (nationalism) and 'Padre Shahi' have its roots in social media and its membership is close to one million. The organization launched a campaign titled 'Murderers Behind bars' (behind killer bars), emphasizing that these girls should not be released.

In addition to a petition launched by a private organization calling for the case to be dismissed against them, poems were written in support of the girls, rallies were held and games were presented in theaters.

Daria Sirenko, a Moscow-based activist and feminist pioneer, helped organize a three-day rally in support of the sisters in June.

He says the main purpose of public events is to keep the story alive and provide everyone with an opportunity to speak in peace.

"Domestic violence is a fact of life in Russia," she says. We can ignore it but it does affect our lives regardless of whether we have personally experienced it or not.