Astonishing story of father who pressured paedophile to kill himself

It was a stunning case of betrayal and livid retribution that resonated with horrified mother and father the world over.

In distant woodlands in deepest Russia, an enraged Vyacheslav Matrosov stood face-to-face with the one-time good friend and babysitter he had caught abusing his six-year-old daughter.

Moments later, after a vicious knife-fight, 32-year-old Oleg Sviridov was lifeless – Matrosov having apparently succeeded in making the little one intercourse attacker dig his personal grave after which take his personal life.

The extraordinary story of how a father confronted the abuser of his little one immediately struck a chord with the general public – much more so when Matrosov was arrested on suspicion of homicide, which may have seen him face a prolonged spell in jail.

His arrest was accompanied by an outcry with villagers pitching collectively to fund his winding authorized battle and declaring: ‘Every father would have finished this.’

Eventually, the 35-year-old was convicted of ‘inciting an individual to suicide or tried suicide by threats or abuse’ and served simply six months of an 18-month sentence.

‘Slava’ Matrosov and Oleg Sviridov had been good mates earlier than the lethal episode unfolded. Sviridov would usually babysit Matrosov’s kids and the pair had for a very long time been shut and trusting mates.

Nobody may have suspected what was actually happening. ‘They left their kids with him on a regular basis,’ Sviridov’s mom would later remark. ‘When he baby-sat these ladies he got here again residence as regular, in an excellent temper.’

‘He should have been drunk. Most possible he was drunk,’ she stated, attempting to grasp how her son may have grow to be such a monster.

It was when the chums have been ingesting collectively that Matrosov uncovered the ugly reality. When Sviridov fell asleep, his good friend took his cellphone to see what he had been taking a look at, it was later claimed in courtroom paperwork.

To his horror he found a video of his finest good friend forcing his little one to carry out a intercourse act. The woman – who sources say was Sviridov’s goddaughter – was allegedly heard within the video pleading: ‘Oleg, that is sufficient, I can not take it any extra. I need to go residence’.

Police would later say that Sviridov’s cellphone additionally contained sickening movies of the rapes of different ladies from the village, aged six and 11. The movies indicated that the suspect had been abusing kids for 5 years earlier than Matrosov found the footage on his cellphone.

It was stated that one of many alleged victims was additionally the daughter of his former accomplice. ‘The girl had a daughter from her first marriage,’ a good friend later advised Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper. ‘Now it has turned out he was abusing the kid.’

‘He was consistently seen with the women, the daughter of his accomplice and Vyacheslav’s older daughter, within the village. It by no means crossed anybody’s thoughts what he was doing with kids.’ 

Matrosov gave Sviridov an ultimatum to show himself in, it was claimed. When he failed to take action, Matrosov stated he went to the police and reported the assaults himself.

The police started a manhunt for the intercourse offender as he tried to flee, however Matrosov received to him first – ostensibly hoping to spook his previous pal into going to police and doing the suitable factor.

Sviridov was final seen badly overwhelmed on the day he disappeared in September 2021, in accordance with a relative. Every week later, his physique was discovered within the makeshift grave close to Vintai village.

The particulars of what occurred in these woods might by no means be totally revealed. But investigators concluded Sviridov was made to dig his personal grave earlier than the 2 have been swept up in a livid row.

Matrosov later advised police he didn’t imply to kill his previous good friend, however says he ‘discovered’ a knife throughout the argument. Sviridov lunged at Matrosov with the blade however caught himself within the course of, sustaining deadly wounds.

Forensic groups finally concluded that Sviridov took his personal life throughout the fracas.

Matrosov waited earlier than going to the police and handing within the cellphone as proof. He advised the police he had solely meant to scare his good friend and had given him the selection: hand your self in or take your personal life. 

Authorities discovered Sviridov’s corpse in an unmarked pit every week after Sviridov disappeared. They arrested Matrosov on suspicion of homicide, for which he confronted 15 years in Russian jail.

The suggestion at first sparked outcry amongst residents of native village, many pooling collectively to fund the aggrieved father’s authorized battle. 

‘Every father would have finished this [killed someone they saw abusing their child]. This might be an instance to everybody,’ learn a petition calling for his acquittal on the time.

‘Therefore, we demand understanding from the chief department, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee.’

In April 2022, Matrosov was lastly convicted of ‘inciting an individual to suicide or tried suicide by threats or abuse’ by Krasnoglinsky Court in Samara, and sentenced to 18 months in a strict Russian penal colony. He served simply six months of the sentence after being freed a yr early.

It was a fairly mild sentence in comparison with the six-year most penalty beneath the cost. Lawyer Vera Podkolzina stated on the time proving Sviridov’s guilt with the video proof was crucial to getting a lenient sentence for Matrosov.

‘It is troublesome to say what punishment the daddy of the woman might face, however he has very highly effective mitigating circumstances,’ she stated. 

‘If the crime is confirmed by video details, then is the woman’s father flawed?’ stated Anna Plekhanova, commenting on a petition.

‘He saved our youngsters from potential paedophile abuse,’ stated one other supporter.

Matrosov all the time denied homicide and stated he was ‘happy’ that he wouldn’t face a cost of intentionally killing Sviridov. The courtroom additionally eliminated the requirement for him to put on an digital tag as he awaited trial.

‘Of course, we perceive that he may have acquired a far longer sentence. And 18 months just isn’t a lot time,’ stated Oksana Kazakova, a Matrosov household good friend and Sviridov’s ex-girlfriend, whose daughter was additionally allegedly abused.

‘We actually hope that he’ll get a presidential pardon on the finish of the yr. That could be an enormous blessing for all his family and friends.’

Still, the story triggered a wave of sympathy round Russia, making headlines world wide.

Prominent TV journalist and former Russian presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak advised her followers on the time: ‘All mother and father are standing up for the paedophile’s killer.’

Matrosov’s father up to date supporters with a message on a fundraiser.

‘We have collected the cash, thanks all,’ he stated. ‘It was not mates or kin who helped, however strangers from the village.’

Some 2,500 individuals signed a petition demanding that Matrosov be totally acquitted, with locals within the village of Pribrezhnaya even pitching in to pool cash for his authorized charges.

Matrosov was lastly reunited together with his household in October final yr after six months in jail. 

‘Home,’ he stated in a publish shared on-line, sat subsequent to his spouse Natalya, then 35. ‘Love very a lot.’