A Russian father, Vyacheslav Matrosov, 35, took the law into his own hands when he forced the man who sexually abused his six-year-old daughter to dig his own grave in the forest before persuading him to commit suicide.
Matrosov acted outside the law after discovering images of his young daughter being forced to perform sexual acts and confronted Oleg Sviridov, 32, the man in the video. In a heartbreaking recording, the boy’s pleas are heard: “Oleg, enough is enough, I can’t take it anymore. “I want to go back home.”
The confrontation between Matrosov and Sviridov, who was once a family friend and nanny, ultimately led to Sviridov’s death. Matrosov initially faced murder charges, but further investigation revealed that Sviridov’s wounds were self-inflicted.
In 2022, Matrosov received an 18-month prison sentence, of which he served 12 months before his release. Public sentiment in Russia rallied around Matrosov when it emerged that he had forced his daughter’s abuser to dig his own burial site in the forest.
Upon regaining his freedom, Matrosov posted a photo on social media with the caption: “At home. I love a lot.”, reports the Express USA. The Krasnoglinsky Court in Samara found Matrosov guilty of “inciting” Sviridov “to suicide,” which led to an 18-month sentence in a strict regime penal colony.
If Matrosov had been convicted of murder, the former rocket engine factory worker could have faced up to 15 years in prison. The local community in the Samara region has rallied behind Matrosov following his connection to the murder of convicted pedophile Sviridov, drawing global attention to the case.
The residents of Pribrezhnoye opened their wallets to help with Matrosov’s legal costs. A petition with 2,500 signatures emerged, calling for Matrosov’s release, as locals praised him for “saving our children by ridding us of a child sex offender.”
TV star and former Russian presidential hopeful Ksenia Sobchak declared: “All parents defend the pedophile’s murderer.”