Photo: East2West/New York Post/Skyward Kick Productions/Shutterstock
He is being labeled a 'hero.'
By Yona Dervishi — Written on Jan 17, 2022
A Russian father who was accused of killing his best friend will not face murder charges.
A parent's worst nightmare came to life for the father after he allegedly found evidence of his former best friend raping his 8-year-old daughter and other local children.
34-year-old Vyachelav Matrosov was arrested in Pribrezhnoy, Russia for the fatal stabbing of the alleged rapist, 32-year-old Oleg Sviridov.
Vyacheslav allegedly made Sviridov dig his own grave before he died.
The father allegedly killed his former friend after seeing video footage of him sexually assaulting his 8-year-old daughter.
According to reports, the two men were drinking together when the father allegedly saw footage of his daughter's rape on Sviridov's phone.
In it, his daughter is forced to perform a sex act and can be heard crying "I want to go home," sources said.
Other nauseating videos depicted the earlier sexual assaults of two other village girls, ages 11 and 6. Given the timeline of the videos, it's thought the suspect abused children for nearly five years before his death.
Vyacheslav Matrosov confronted Oleg Sviridov over the video.
The father is said to have immediately confronted the accused once he saw the alleged videos, which prompted Sviridov to flee the scene.
Matrosov reported the rapes to police, which launched a manhunt for the alleged pedophile.
However, the distressed father reportedly decided to take matters into his own hands before police could find Sviridov. The man was then stabbed to death.
His body was found near their village more than a week after the alleged confrontation.
When questioned about the incident, Matrosov claimed Sviridov "stumbled on the knife during a quarrel."
It has also been claimed that Sviridov stabbed himself during the battle — hence Matrosov's murder charge has been dropped but he will still face charges for inciting his former friend to stab himself.
The suspect had been in the young girl's life for many years.
Besides being a long-time friend of the father, the deceased Sviridov was also the 8-year-old girl's godfather, according to sources. The family often entrusted him with babysitting their children and didn't suspect anything unusual.
His wife has spoken out about finding her husband after he saw the video of the alleged assault.
"You cannot imagine what I experienced when I saw it. I felt sick, I was dizzy, and nauseous," she said. "I shook all over. I could not believe my eyes that it was our child in the video."
Matrosov allegedly made his friend dig his own grave.
The father was, reportedly, only trying to scare his friend and gave him an ultimatum to either turn himself in or take his own life.
His wife claims the alleged abuser tried to stab Matrosov but eventually wound up stabbing himself.
Matrosov allegedly buried his body and took his former friend's phone to the police but waited weeks to tell them about his death and the location of his body.
Supporters are rallying behind Matrosov, calling him a "hero."
While the father is currently detained and under investigation, locals and online supporters are standing up for the alleged paedophile's killer.
More than 1,100 locals signed a petition calling for charges to be dropped against Matrosov. They've also pitched in to help get the father a good lawyer and cover legal fees.
"He saved our kids from potential pedophile abuse," said one supporter, who added that all locals want the father freed and acquitted.
“If the crime is proven by video facts, then is the girl’s father wrong?" commenter Anna Plekhanova queried.
Matrosov's father even left an update for those who are donating to the fundraiser as supporters offered their gratitude for protecting children from the man.
“We have collected the money, thank you all,” he said. “It was not friends or relatives who helped, but strangers from the village.”
Spiritual life coach, Keya Murthy, tells us reason and rationale can disappear when a parent is concerned for their child's safety.
"Their emotion takes over and they seek revenge," she says, "When a child is hurt, the parent feels hurt too. Some go to the authorities and seek justice. Some do not believe that enough justice could be provided by the system and take matters into their own hands."
The father will not face murder charges.
Matrosov will, however, face prosecution for inciting Sviridov to die by suicide, which carries a lesser sentence than murder.
This charge carries a maximum sentence of 6 years.
The alleged videos are currently being investigated, and will act as critical evidence in the case.
“It is difficult to say what punishment the father of the girl may face," said lawyer Vera Podkolzina, "But he has very powerful mitigating circumstances.”
The incident has stirred up a debate about what pushes someone to kill and when, if ever, is killing justified.
Yona Dervishi is a writer who is currently working at YourTango as an editorial intern. She covers topics pertaining to news and entertainment.