A Russian father, Vyacheslav Matrosov, 35, took justice into his own hands when he forced the man who molested 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 footage of his young daughter being coerced into sexual acts and confronted Oleg Sviridov, 32, the man in the video. In a harrowing recording, the child’s pleas are audible: “Oleg, that’s enough, I can’t take it anymore. I want to go home.”
The confrontation between Matrosov and Sviridov, who was once a friend and babysitter to the family, ultimately led to Sviridov’s death. Initially, Matrosov 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 behind Matrosov when it became known that he forced his daughter’s abuser to excavate his own burial site in the woods.
Upon regaining his freedom, Matrosov posted a picture on social media with the caption: “Home. Love very much.”, reports the Express US. The Krasnoglinsky Court in Samara found Matrosov guilty of “inciting” Sviridov “to suicide” resulting in an 18-month term in a strict regime penal colony.
Had Matrosov been convicted of murder, the former rocket engine factory worker could have faced up to 15 years in prison. The Samara region’s local community has rallied behind Matrosov after his connection to the killing of convicted pedophile Sviridov, drawing global eyes to the case.
The Pribrezhnoye residents have opened their wallets to help with Matrosov’s legal costs. A petition boasting 2,500 signatures surfaced, pushing for Matrosov’s release, as locals praised him for “saving our children by ridding us of a child sex attacker.”
TV star and one-time Russian presidential hopeful Ksenia Sobchak declared: “All parents are standing up for the pedophile’s killer.”