Vradiyivka victim discharged from hospital

The three men arrested in connection with the violent rape and beating in Vradiyivka of 29-year-old Iryna Krashkova are now facing charges of attempted murder. .

The Prosecutor has informed that the actions of police officers Dmytro Polishchuk and Yevhen Dryzhak, as well as taxi driver Ryabinenko, have been reclassified: instead of being charged with “deliberate serious injuries, jeopardizing life”, they are now accused of attempted murder with particular brutality for motives of profit, in order to conceal another crime.

The two police officers are charged with rape, robbery attack and also offences linked with official status.  The taxi driver is charged only with robberty attack.

Iryna Krashkova was raped and savagely beaten on 26 June, after leaving a local discotheque.  She managed to drag herself to the town and was taken to emergency care. 

She named her assailants as two officers of the local police station.  One was arrested, together with the taxi driver who apparently did not take part in the rape, however the other – Yevhen Dryzhak – claimed that he had been on duty that night.

The local population say that both officers’ actions have been known for a long time, and a huge crowd stormed the police station where they believed Dryzhak was being shielded by colleagues.

The level of protest and enormous publicity the case gained in Ukraine and abroad led to Dryzhak also being arrested.