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Prosecutors Charge Ex-Young Theatre Director Andrii Bilous With Rape, Seek No-Bail Detention

Investigators point to victim accounts, dozens of witness statements and psychological exams indicating lasting harm to students.

Overview

  • Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General formally notified Bilous of suspicion for rape and sexual violence against several students, including two who were minors.
  • The case alleges he exploited his authority as a university teacher and theatre director to coerce students into sex without voluntary consent starting in 2017.
  • Prosecutors say multiple assaults occurred in theatre premises between March 2018 and April 2023 involving five identified victims.
  • The evidence cited includes testimonies from victims, corroboration from dozens of witnesses about sexualized conduct and coercion for intimate photos, and forensic psychological findings of long-term trauma.
  • A prosecutor will ask Kyiv’s Pechersk District Court to order pretrial custody without bail this afternoon, while Bilous rejects the allegations and calls the case a smear campaign.