The Trainer on Trial: Sexual Acts with Minor Result in Criminal Charges

The criminal trial started on April 21, 2023, based on the victim’s submission that from 2014 to 2015, the trainer with whom she was training at the time performed sexual acts with her, knowing that she was under sixteen .

In the course of the criminal trial, it was established that until the victim was sixteen years old, there had been consensual sexual relations between the two, which the victim hid from her parents and friends. After several years, when the victim reached the age of majority, the relationship escalated with the marriage of both parties, which broke up shortly after its conclusion.

During the investigation, no information was found that the suspect had sexual relations with other minors.

After evaluating the circumstances proven in the criminal proceedings, the police proposed to the prosecutor’s office to hold the person criminally liable for four separate criminal offenses (one less serious and three serious crimes) in accordance with:

• Article 161 of the Criminal Law on acts of a sexual nature with a person who has not reached the age of sixteen;
• Article 161 of the Criminal Law on satisfying sexual desire in an unnatural way, with a person who has not reached the age of sixteen (Criminal Law version until June 13, 2014);
• The first part of Article 162 of the Criminal Law on indecent acts with a minor, if it has been committed by an adult (Criminal Law version until June 13, 2014.

For the most serious of the above-mentioned crimes, the person, if found guilty, may be sentenced to imprisonment for a period of up to five years or temporary imprisonment, or probation supervision, or community service.