Church raiders beat up a 16-year-old son of the UOC priest in Sadov

The temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, Sadov

On March 31, 2019, church raiders in the village of Sadov in Lutsk district of Volyn region attacked the son of the priest of the UOC community, Vladimir Meles’, sixteen-year-old Vasily. This was announced on April 21 by the Information and Education Department of the UOC, with reference to the press service of the Volyn Eparchy.

According to documents published by the diocese, the fact of the attack was entered the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations the day after the incident, on April 1. It is also known that the child was operated on April 2, however, there was no timely notification for an unclear reason that a misfortune had happened in the family of the priest. At the same time, the sympathizers of the attackers spread a lie that Vasily himself had allegedly provoked the beating.

The UOC temple in the village of Sadov became subject to the raider seizure by the OCU supporters on February 2, 2019. Then, the adepts of the new church organization cut locks on the church and declared it their own, despite the fact that the UOC community had earlier held its parish meeting and refused to change jurisdiction, holding their services in the dwelling.

Four aggressive-minded people, apparently dissatisfied with the fact that the UOC community was saved, on March 31 intentionally assaulted the son of Archpriest Vladimir. He was reportedly “invited to talk”, and after the meeting on the playground of the local school, they immediately began beating him. Three non-humans were holding the guy, while the fourth was dealing blows and kicking his head and torso. While beating, the attacker shouted vengeful remarks – why exactly they beat up the young man: “This is for your taking pictures of how the locks were cut”, obviously, referring to the video fixation by Vasiliy Meles’ of the raider seizure of the temple on February 2.

The diagnosis made by the physicians to the injured teenager: closed head injury, concussion of the brain, abrasions of the neck, closed fracture of the bones of the nose with minimal debris displacement, arterial hypertension of the 2nd degree.

A pre-trial investigation was opened upon the fact on the grounds of the criminal offense under Part 1 of Art. 125 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (deliberate infliction of light bodily harm).

Recall, on February 8, the court made a decision to oblige the authorized employees to submit data on the seizure of the church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God of Sadov village, Lutsk district, to the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations. Archpriest Vladimir Meles’, rector of the parish, who was aggrieved by the raider actions of the OCU representatives, said that the UOC community, which remained almost in full strength, is now forced to hold services in a private house, since the supporters of the OCU have declared the church their own, showing the minutes of the assembly they allegedly held on December 16, 2018. In fact, according to the priest, no meeting was held.

On April 6, 2019, a group of aggressive people attempted to forcibly evict Father Vladimir from the church house where he lives and is officially registered with his wife, minor children and his small grandson. Law enforcement agencies ignored the priest's statement, but on April 16, 2019, the Lutsk city court of the Volyn region obliged the police to investigate the offence.

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