Seven years after three Russian sisters killed their father in a case that shocked the nation, a Moscow court has posthumously found him guilty of sexually abusing and torturing them, a verdict that could overturn their prison sentences.
In 2018, the Khachaturyan sisters—Krestina, Angelina, and Maria—fatally attacked their father Mikhail Khachaturyan in their Moscow home, claiming years of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. At the time, their admissions led to murder charges and a 20-year prison sentence, according to the Sun.
A Moscow court formally convicted Mikhail Khachaturyan—who was killed with his own hunting knife—of multiple crimes including violent sexual acts, grievous bodily harm, and the production of child pornography involving his daughters.
Court evidence revealed a harrowing pattern of control, including repeated rape, beatings, death threats, and the exploitation of his daughters in pornographic content.
Psychological evaluations confirmed all three sisters suffered from abuse-induced PTSD and "abuse syndrome" dating back to at least 2014. Additionally, the court's findings confirmed the sisters' long-standing claims of being terrorized by their father.
Following the ruling, the sisters' defense teams are pushing for full acquittals or reclassification of their actions as justified self-defense.
Meanwhile, members of the Khachaturyan family, including Mikhail's sister, dispute the court's findings and vow to appeal the decision, claiming the girls fabricated the abuse to inherit his assets.
