In Kyiv region, 7-year-old boy shot his 6-year-old neighbour with his father’s gun: the court handed down sentence. PHOTO
In the Kyiv region, a court has handed down a verdict in a case involving the negligent storage of weapons, which led to the death of a young child. While playing, a 7-year-old boy shot and killed his neighbours' 6-year-old daughter.
This was reported by the press service of the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, according to Censor.NET.
The owner of the weapon will be held responsible for the tragic incident
"The court handed down a guilty verdict against a resident of the village of Stare in the Boryspil district of Kyiv region. The man was found guilty of malicious failure to fulfil his parental duties and of improperly storing firearms and ammunition. This led to the tragedy: the death of a young child and psychological trauma to another child," the statement said.
According to law enforcement officials, for several years the man has been keeping a smooth-bore hunting rifle and two loaded cartridges in his home, in the living room, behind a wardrobe, in a place that was easily accessible.
On 23 August 2025, his 7-year-old son was spending time with his 6-year-old neighbour. The child knew where the weapon was, took the rifle "to play", pointed it at the girl and pulled the trigger, resulting in a shot. Unfortunately, the girl died on the spot from her injuries.
During the court hearing, the man fully admitted his guilt and confirmed the circumstances of the incident. For the totality of his crimes, he was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
In addition, the court upheld the civil claim of the victims' representative and ordered the guilty party to pay 10 million hryvnias in moral damages.
