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VILLAGE MAYOR DENIES PEDOPHILIA ACCUSATION, SAYS HE IS BEING 'BLACKMAILED'
Azat Ghukasyan
http://www.armenianow.com/society/36008/pedophilia_syunik_hartashen_village
Society | 28.02.12 | 15:25
Photo: syunik.gov.am
The news of another pedophilia case in Armenia's southern Syunkik
province is making headlines in the local media, meanwhile the Police
in the province have opened a case against Hartashen village mayor
and teacher of gymnastics at the village school Azat Ghukasyan,
under Article of the Criminal Code of Armenia (lecherous acts with
a person obviously under 16).
According to an article published in the online daily Hetq, recently at
the lesson of gymnastics Ghukasyan told students of the eighth form to
"play quietly" and ordered one of the female students, who is mentally
retarded, to follow him and, as the relatives of the young woman claim,
raped her.
The Police report no other information about the case, reasoning that
it is necessary for the sake secrecy of the preliminary investigation.
On Tuesday, Ghukasyan, who, is not arrested yet, told ArmeniaNow that
he was at the Police office, and that he was preparing to testify. He
denied all the accusations brought against him, saying that he was
being blackmailed. The 50-year-old head of the village answered the
questions evasively and did not provide more details as to who and why
is blackmailing him. Ghukasyan has been mayor of Hartashen since 2002,
and in 1995-2002 he was the headmaster of the village school.
Ghukasyan is married and has four children.
Two years ago, Levon Avagyan, a former Armenian language teacher
at a boarding school for children with special needs in Nubarashen,
was charged with a similar offense, and was sentenced to two years in
prison. And last year U.S.-Armenian businessman Serop Der-Boghossian
was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in jail for sexual abuse of ten
10-16-year-old boys. Currently lawmakers and NGOs are discussing the
issue of applying voluntary or compulsory chemical castration against
people who have committed crimes of sexual nature against children.
Azat Ghukasyan
http://www.armenianow.com/society/36008/pedophilia_syunik_hartashen_village
Society | 28.02.12 | 15:25
Photo: syunik.gov.am
The news of another pedophilia case in Armenia's southern Syunkik
province is making headlines in the local media, meanwhile the Police
in the province have opened a case against Hartashen village mayor
and teacher of gymnastics at the village school Azat Ghukasyan,
under Article of the Criminal Code of Armenia (lecherous acts with
a person obviously under 16).
According to an article published in the online daily Hetq, recently at
the lesson of gymnastics Ghukasyan told students of the eighth form to
"play quietly" and ordered one of the female students, who is mentally
retarded, to follow him and, as the relatives of the young woman claim,
raped her.
The Police report no other information about the case, reasoning that
it is necessary for the sake secrecy of the preliminary investigation.
On Tuesday, Ghukasyan, who, is not arrested yet, told ArmeniaNow that
he was at the Police office, and that he was preparing to testify. He
denied all the accusations brought against him, saying that he was
being blackmailed. The 50-year-old head of the village answered the
questions evasively and did not provide more details as to who and why
is blackmailing him. Ghukasyan has been mayor of Hartashen since 2002,
and in 1995-2002 he was the headmaster of the village school.
Ghukasyan is married and has four children.
Two years ago, Levon Avagyan, a former Armenian language teacher
at a boarding school for children with special needs in Nubarashen,
was charged with a similar offense, and was sentenced to two years in
prison. And last year U.S.-Armenian businessman Serop Der-Boghossian
was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in jail for sexual abuse of ten
10-16-year-old boys. Currently lawmakers and NGOs are discussing the
issue of applying voluntary or compulsory chemical castration against
people who have committed crimes of sexual nature against children.