On January 1, Alexander Kuznetsov, a former professional boxer, beat to death a 20-year-old St. Petersburg student from Uzbekistan, who had sexually assaulted his 8-year-old stepson in the entranceway to his apartment block.
The court gave Kuznetsov the lowest term permitted under the Russian Criminal Code for the killing due to mitigating circumstances - the former boxer pleaded guilty and committed the crime after witnessing the sexual assault on his stepson.
But the court ruled out giving Kuznetsov a suspended sentence as he is a drug addict with a previous conviction for the possession of drugs.
According to Kuznetsov, on January 1 he and his son decided to let off fireworks in the street and while he was dressing his son left the apartment before him. When Kuznetsov followed his stepson, he saw the boy lying in the entranceway without any trousers and an undressed male was on top of him. Kuznetsov said he lost control and attacked the man, who later died from injuries sustained in the attack.
