A Belarusian teenager was sentenced to 15 years in prison Friday after attacking people at a mall with a chainsaw and an axe in Minsk. He killed one woman in the process.
It’s the maximum term that can be given to a minor in Belarus, much to the disapproval of the victims’ relatives, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
Police arrested Ulad Kazakevich Oct. 8 for using a chainsaw and axe to assault four women in the shopping mall. One women was able to flee, two were injured and another was killed.
Kazakevich, who originally pleaded guilty, was given his punishment after being found guilty of attempted murder and murder with extreme violence, among other crimes. (RELATED: Sex Offender Charged With Rape, Murder Of Ohio State Student Only Months After Release)
Even though officials said he has psychological problems, the court still deemed that Kazakevich was fit for trial, according to RFE/RL.
The case may spark a debate in the country over whether the upper limit for minors should be capped at 15 years. (RELATED: Man Cleared Of Rape After 25 Years In Prison)
It is quite different for adults convicted of murder, since Belarus is the only country in Europe that allows the death penalty.
A 17-year-old high school junior from Montgomery Village, Md., was arrested in January for allegedly stabbing two men to death inside a mall.
He was charged as an adult with two counts of first degree murder and could serve life in prison, according to a local NBC News affiliate.
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