Profoundly frustrating that it is the taxpayers who will pay for yet another case involving lawless behaviour by police officers and failure by the authorities to investigate and prosecute the culprits. The European Court of Human Rights has found violation of both the substantive and the procedural aspects of Article 3 of the European Convention (prohibition of torture and ill-treatment) and others. Ukraine is ordered to pay three members of the Koval family 35 thousand EUR compensation

In June 2005 police officers burst into the family’s home to ascertain whether the son had returned an electric drill he borrowed. The visitation resulted in the members of the family receiving bruises, a fractured rib and concussion, first at home and then in the police station where they were taken.

Neither the numerous medical documents, nor the testimony of the victims who could identify their tormentors prompted the authorities to punish the culprits. “No elements of a crime” were found.

The Koval family was represented in Strasbourg by Arkady Bushchenko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union.