In Kryvyi Rih, a woman convinced an acquaintance that the jewelry was 'cursed' and took gold and money

The Ternivskyi District Court of Kryvyi Rih found a local woman guilty of fraud after she, under the pretext of performing a ritual to 'remove a curse,' took possession of her acquaintance's gold items and money. The total damage caused to the victim amounted to over 22,700 UAH. The court sentenced the accused to probation supervision for one year.

Case circumstances

At the end of March 2026, the accused met her acquaintance at a public transport stop. During the conversation, she noticed her jewelry and convinced the woman of the necessity to perform a ritual to 'remove a curse.'

Believing these explanations, the victim brought from home a gold cross, a pendant in the shape of the zodiac sign 'Aquarius,' and 2,000 UAH, which she handed over for the ritual. As established in the verdict, the accused, taking advantage of the trusting relationship with the victim, had no intention of returning the property or providing the promised services.

The next day, the woman contacted the victim again and persuaded her to hand over another gold item—a ring with a cubic zirconia—as well as 5,000 UAH as payment for the allegedly necessary services.

Later, on March 30, 2026, during a phone conversation, the accused informed about the need for additional payment for the 'ritual.' On the same day, she received another 2,000 UAH from the victim.

According to the court's forensic examination, the value of the jewelry exceeded 13,700 UAH, and the total material damage, including the money handed over, amounted to 22,764.15 UAH.

Case consideration

The criminal proceeding was considered in a simplified procedure provided for minor offenses. This procedure applies if the accused does not dispute the circumstances established during the inquiry, fully admits guilt, and agrees to the consideration of the indictment without a court hearing.

The accused, in the presence of a defender, submitted a written statement of unconditional admission of guilt, agreed with all established circumstances, and consented to the simplified procedure. The victim also did not object to this procedure.

The court noted that in the case of consideration in a simplified procedure, the person is limited in the ability to appeal the verdict on the grounds of consideration without participants, lack of evidence examination in court, or disputing circumstances established during the pre-trial investigation.

Court conclusions

The court concluded that the accused, by deception and abuse of trust, took possession of the victim's property. Her actions were qualified under Part 1 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine as fraud.

When imposing the sentence, the court took into account that the woman had no prior convictions, was responsible for six minor and underage children, and sincerely repented. No aggravating circumstances were found.

Sentence imposed by the court

The court found the accused guilty and sentenced her to probation supervision for one year.

Probation supervision is an independent type of primary punishment that involves control by the authorized probation body and fulfillment of court-imposed duties. In particular, the convicted must periodically register with the probation authority, notify about changes in residence, work, or study, not leave Ukraine without permission, and comply with the probation program measures.

The court also noted that no civil claim was filed within the criminal proceedings, and no preventive measure was chosen for the accused. At the same time, the verdict does not contain information about compensation for the damage caused to the victim.

Thus, the court concluded that probation supervision would be sufficient to correct the convicted person and prevent new criminal offenses.

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