Seviarynets: Abduction of girl is not hooliganism, but felony

Investigators must open a criminal case in connection with the abduction of Natallia Sheleh over the article “kidnapping”, “robbery” and possibly “banditry”.

“Classification of kidnapping of Natallia Sheleh, the 16-year-old daughter of BCD member and businessman Viachaslau Sheleh, as 'hooliganism' is a mockery of justice,” says Pavel Seviarynets, a co-head of the organising committee to found the Belarusian Christian Democracy party. “Investigators must open a criminal case under the articles 'kidnapping', 'robbery' and possibly 'banditry'. Everyone sees that it was not a drunken offence, but an intentional felony. They are demonstratively terrorizing the whole family. We can see the signs of banditry on the state level.”

“Both the BCD and independent community should take measures to protect our children. Stop tolerating this mockery. I hope the first steps will be made during the round-table discussion in Babruisk on Wednesday,” Pavel Seviarynets told the BCD press service.

Natallia Sheleh, the daughter of the leaders of Babruisk businessmen, was beaten and taken to a forest. The teen got a blow to the back of the head when she was doing exercises at a stadium on the morning of July 27. Natallia Sheleh lost consciousness.

The girl came round in a forest. Her face and hands were smeared with black paint similar to that used for fingerprinting. The attackers took away her footwear, keys and a mobile phone. She walked for about 2 hours in the forest until she found a road near the village of Shchatkova 20 kilometres from home. She managed to stop a car and call her father who came to take her home later.