A disabled woman from Lviv avoided prison for a fictitious marriage.

According to ТСН: In Lviv, the Railway District Court made a decision regarding a woman who helped her relative illegally leave the country twice. A resident of Lviv, who has a disability, entered into a fictitious marriage with a man to carry out this plan.

Wedding for crossing the border

As was revealed during the investigation, the woman with a II group disability decided to help her relative leave Ukraine under martial law. Since the man had no legal grounds for departure, they devised a plan to marry.

On June 30, 2023, the couple registered their marriage at the Dobromyl City Council, and just a few hours later, the "newlyweds" were at the "Shehyni" border crossing.

That same evening at 22:23, they crossed the border on foot. The woman returned to Ukraine a few hours later, while her relative stayed abroad until the end of August.

The second departure was final

In April 2024, the couple again headed to the border in an Audi car.

After crossing the border, the woman returned home on foot two days later, while her "husband-relative" never returned to Ukraine. At the time of sentencing, he remained outside the country.

Repentance and court decision

During the court hearing, the woman fully admitted her guilt and stated that the fictitious marriage had already been dissolved. She pleaded with the court not to punish her severely, assuring that she would not commit similar offenses again.

Considering the case materials, the court took into account:

• Genuine remorse of the defendant.

• Her status as an II group disabled person since childhood.

• Absence of previous convictions.

The court found the woman guilty under Part 1 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal transportation of individuals across the state border) and sentenced her to 3 years of imprisonment. However, taking into account her health condition and recognition of guilt, the woman was exempted from serving the actual term and placed under 2 years probation.

This case highlights the difficult situation in which people find themselves in times of war and restrictions on leaving the country. On one hand, the woman tried to help her relative, but on the other hand, she broke the law. In the end, the court acknowledged her guilt but also took into account her health status, which served as grounds for reducing the penalty.