The late Mikhail Khachaturyan was finally found guilty on April 21 of years-long physical and sexual abuse against his daughters. This is a landmark verdict in a country where domestic violence is widespread and often ignored or condoned by the authorities.

Khachaturyan became infamous after he was killed by his daughters — 19-year-old Krestina, 18-year-old Angelina and 17-year-old Maria — in July 2018. The girls’ lawyers claimed that they acted in “necessary self-defense” after their father repeatedly threatened to murder them and their mother, nearly killing Krestina by firing pepper spray into her face. 

However, some of Mikhail’s relatives wanted the sisters sentenced for murder “committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy” if their claims against their father could not be proven. If convicted, the sisters would have faced up to 20 years in prison.

Now that Khachaturyan’s abuse has been proven, these girls finally have a chance to start a normal life.

But this court decision is more than just a turning point for three young women.

As Russian lawyer and human rights activist Anna Rivina said, the Khachaturyan sisters’ case holds symbolic meaning for Russia. The decision was only possible thanks to public outcry and widespread interest.

Indeed, the case became one of the loudest and most widely discussed in recent decades, featured everywhere from federal news channels to true crime podcasts. It sparked discussions in the Russian parliament about the criminalization of domestic violence, inspired hundreds of Russian women to take to the streets despite the usual societal inertia and encouraged many to volunteer at crisis centers.

This case brought national attention to issues like domestic abuse, self-defense rights, corruption........

© The Moscow Times