Nine individuals are suspects in the criminal case concerning the kidnapping and rape of an eighth-grade student in Kushrabad district of Samarkand region, with eight of them currently in custody. This information was shared with Gazeta.uz by spokesperson for General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan Hayot Shamsutdinov.
The incident was reported on 13 November by Nemolchi.uz, a project against violence. The girl was kidnapped back on 23 September, prompting her family to file a missing person report with law enforcement. She was found only on 6 October, bearing visible signs of physical abuse.
The girl said she had been beaten, forced to consume alcohol and illegal substances, held against her will and sexually assaulted. At the time of Nemolchi.uz's report, all alleged participants in the crime, including a prosecutor’s office employee, were not yet detained, the project said. It also criticized multiple institutions responsible for the girl’s support and protection, citing unprofessional conduct and numerous violations.
Hayot Shamsutdinov confirmed that during the pre-investigation check initiated on 6 October, a prosecutor’s office employee from Kushrabad district was implicated in the case. He added that this individual was dismissed from the prosecutor’s office on 30 October by the order of the Samarkand regional prosecutor.
Following forensic and biological examinations, Ishtikhan district prosecutor’s office launched a criminal case on 31 October under article 119, part 3, of the Criminal Code — sexual assault with violence or threat against a person under 18 years of age. The case was then transferred to the internal affairs department.
Investigation has identified nine suspects involved in the crime, with eight now detained, including the former prosecutor’s office employee. Efforts are ongoing to detain the ninth suspect.
The criminal investigation is being supervised by the Prosecutor General’s Office, the statement said.
