In Vitebsk, an elderly father axed his son to death

A criminal case has been sent to court against an 84-year-old resident of Vitebsk accused of murdering his son with particular cruelty, reported Valery Stepanov, senior prosecutor of the regional prosecutor's office department.

The accused lived with his son, who had been repeatedly brought to justice, including criminal liability, drank, and caused scandals at home.

In May, after another conflict, the parent waited for the rowdy to fall asleep, then entered his room with an axe and inflicted about two dozen chopping blows to the head. Then he went to bed. Relatives reported the incident the next day.

"During the investigation, the accused fully admitted his guilt. He explained that people like his son should be in the ground, not walking on it. Experts concluded that at the time of the crime, he controlled his actions and was not in a state of strong emotional distress," added Valery Stepanov.

The sanction of the article (Part 2 of Article 139 of the Criminal Code) provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 8 to 25 years, life imprisonment, or the death penalty. This means the pensioner may spend the rest of his life in prison. The final decision in this case will be made by the regional court.

Ekaterina Knyazeva, BELTA