A heartless Ukrainian mum is faces 15 years in jail after allegedly trying to sell her six-year-old son for £18,500 at a pizza joint. Local police were monitoring after offering up the child
Footage has been released showing the stomach-churning moment a heartless mother was intercepted by police after allegedly attempting to sell her six-year-old son at a pizza joint. The disturbing clip captures Ukrainian law enforcement swooping in and reportedly slamming the woman’s face into a slice of pizza just seconds after she traded her child for £18,500.
Authorities confirmed the 39-year-old from the Lutsk district was caught as she attempted to walk away from the boy. The mother-of-three is now behind bars, facing serious charges under human trafficking legislation.
If convicted, she could spend the next 15 years in a prison cell. The young boy has been rescued and is currently in state care.
A police spokesperson said “This is a story that truly sends a chill down your spine. It isn’t just about a crime. It’s about a child whose own mother valued him at $25,000 (£18,500). It all happened in a cynical manner and, worse, deliberately.”
In a dramatic twist, the buyer was actually the one who blew the whistle, contacting the police after being offered the child.
Officials said: “The man who was offered the child turned to the law enforcement authorities. Immediately after receiving the money, the woman was detained.”
Detectives had been tracking the woman for days to ensure the transaction was interrupted before the child could be taken.
The spokesperson added: “Our police officers documented this crime and caught the woman red-handed. Law enforcement officers worked for several days to stop the crime in time and to ensure this story did not take an even worse turn.”
The suspect also has two older children, aged 13 and 16, who reportedly reside with their father. Unfortunately, it isn’t an isolated incident of parents treating their offspring like commodities in the region.
A 21-year-old woman and her 38-year-old partner were nabbed in January after allegedly selling their newborn baby for £7,450. The couple reportedly wanted the cash for “personal needs.”
Police said they had been monitoring the pair since the mother was pregnant, eventually arresting them outside a maternity ward just 24 hours after the birth.
That couple is currently being held under Article 149, Part 3 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code. Like the pizza shop mum, they face lengthy sentences and the potential seizure of their assets.
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