Domestic violence: the legal dilemma of three sisters who killed their father while sleeping

Russian investigators have refused to drop the murder charges of three sisters who killed her father in her sleep, putting the controversial case into a legal solution.

Earlier this year, the Prosecutor’s Office concluded that the three girls had been subjected to physical and sexual abuse for many years.

Therefore, the act of murder in this case should be seen as “necessary self-defense,” according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

And there were expectations that this ruling would bring the curtain down.

But a lawyer for one of the sisters told the BBC that the Russian investigative committee had rejected the prosecutor’s findings.

What did the three sisters do?

Police arrested Christina, Angelina, and Maria Khachourian in July 2018 for attacking their father, Michael, with a hammer, knife, and pepper spray. At the time, they were 19, 18, and 17 years old, respectively.

The sisters later said that their father had raped them for a long time and that they had been held hostage in their home.

Older girls face a maximum of 20 years in prison if the case is eventually referred to court.

Previously, the girls’ mother told the BBC that she and others repeatedly reported the police to the rapes, but they were ignored. The mother had been forced to flee the family home to maintain her personal safety.

What does the researchers’ decision mean?

Lawyer Alexei Liepser said: “The commission of inquiry conducted an additional investigation, but reached the same preliminary conclusion,” meaning that the murder charge is still pending.

He added: “It appears that the higher orders have not changed.”

Despite this, the lawyer is more likely to remain in the position of the Prosecutor until new evidence appears.

“Now either investigators agree with the prosecutor and change the charge (to self-defense), or the case remains an obstacle between the two sides,” the lawyer said.

Wide controversy and support campaign

The case sparked protests, sparked a plea for support for the sisters, and sparked growing calls for a new law to protect against domestic violence.

In January, the Prosecutor’s Office discovered that the sisters had experienced “beatings, continued humiliation, threats, rape, and physical and sexual violence,” and therefore developed a “defensive reaction.”

He concluded that the experiment led the sisters to “protect themselves at all costs.” It is the argument rejected by the commission of inquiry.

The parties must agree to determine the charge so that the case can be referred to the court.

While awaiting trial, the sisters live in isolation in Moscow and are not allowed to communicate with each other.