A Moscow court has sentenced a 32-year-old citizen of Uzbekistan to 8 years in prison for attempting to sexually assault a 19-year-old girl.
The incident took place in May of this year at Yauza Park in the northeastern part of the Russian capital. The girl, who was returning from the cinema and wearing headphones, did not notice the man approaching her from behind. The defendant aggressively harassed the victim and attempted to drag her into the bushes.
Two passersby nearby heard the girl's screams for help. They immediately intervened, apprehended the attacker at the scene, and handed him over to the police. One of the rescuers stated that 20 years ago, his friend's wife had been attacked in a park in a similar situation and died because no one came to her aid. For this reason, he rushed to help without hesitation this time.
During the investigation, the suspect denied his guilt. He claimed that he had consumed several cans of beer and intended to sleep on a park bench because he would not make it back to his dormitory before it closed. According to him, he only wanted to ask the girl for directions to the metro. However, the testimonies of the victim and the two witnesses completely refuted this version.
The Babushkinsky Court of Moscow found the individual guilty of attempted sexual violence and sentenced him to 8 years of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony.
