A trial about a sexual harassment towards a minor girl continues in the court of first instance of Aragatsotni marz where the victim and the defendant are from the same family. The father is convicted for raping the minor girl of 17 year old, and for torturing his 22 year old daughter. Their attorneys, father and victim-girls claim that the case was made up through violence and torture. 

The trial continues in a closed door session as requested by the prosecutor, even though both the victim and the defendant demand for open hearing to spread their voice in the public.

In fact, the minor girl was subjected to sexual harassment, but as stated by the girl it was done by another person. The incident took place on August 11, 2008. After that the girl had not returned home for 20 days and the father had to submit a claim to the police about his daughter's disappearance on August 21. After the daughter returned home the father got informed about the happened incident, on September 15 he and his daughter went to the police station of Talin district to submit an application and gave detailed explanations about the happened incident. Detailed explanation was also written by the sisters who were told about the details by the girl who was minor at that time.

Criminal case was brought forward. During the first phase of the investigation the case was investigated by Artak Kalashyan from the Chief investigative department, who seemed to try to find the real criminal, but on February 6, 2009 criminal case was suspended on the basis of lack of identification of the person who must be presented as an accused. In May the investigation of the case was re-started by the investigator Ruben Vardanyan, who "identified" and recognized as a "criminal" the father of the family.

In spite of the cruel and inhuman treatment the father did not accept his "fault", but with the usage of the same strange methods the required testimony was taken from the girls against their father and was taken as a basis of the accusation. Later the girls refused the testimony and submitted a claim to the Chief prosecutor's office. Now already 18 year old girl gave testimonies during one of the trial sessions and told how the testimonies had been taken from her. She was kept in hunger for 4 days, was beaten and threatened.

"At 1 o'clock night I was taken to the kentron police station. One of the policemen was Erik Poghosyan, who told me "you have to come with us for 10 minutes there are some questions that need to be clarified concerning Tigran". I thought that he was found and became very glad. I didn't know what was going to happen with me", is telling the girl.

In the Kentron police station before investigator Ruben Vardanyan came the investigation was carried out by the authorized operative searcher Erik Poghosyan (who was a victim in Armenian National Congress's active member Tigran Arakelyan's case). 4-5 policemen were also present in the room besides him.

"When 30 minutes had already passed I said let me go, they told me to shut up and not to move. I did not make a sound and started to fear greatly".

Erik Poghosyan continued in a threatening voice.

"You have told me a lie. You must tell us the truth, that your pa had raped you". When I said what are you telling?, he  slapped me in my face, "Aren't you aware that your pa had already gone to Talin police station and confessed, had told and written everything". I was thrilled so much that was not able to speak...".

The girl tried to assert whatever she had said, but this caused Erik Poghosyan's and others' irritation. She says that Erik Poghosyan treated her very rudely "was beating all the time", but Vardanyan was beating her most of the time, "was pursuing by any means" that her father had raped her.

"I didn't sleep, was not given bread, water, was not allowed to go to toilette. All the three days Vardanyan was going around, I was as drunken, and very weak.., on the third day I didn't even feel how I took the pen and wrote down. I was very weak, was writing whatever they were telling me. They reached their goal, I was afraid very much, I was very weak and exhausted... I was afraid from them very much, they were like a pack of wolves".

On the fourth day the investigator and supporting policemen organized cross-examination, but before that they were "working out" with their special methods both the father and 22 year old daughter, who as stated by the attorney were brought illegally too.

The same treatment received also 22 year old daughter. "I was standing on feet two days, I was not allowed to sit down, heard terrible swear words, and whoever was going around was beating me. The swear words were so terrible, that I was ashamed badly".

"When my father was brought the policemen and Erik Poghosyan stood in front of him in such a way that I was not able to see his face to ask something. They told my father do you accept your fault, my father said I didn't believe that my daughter could have told you such a thing, and I understood that my father was told that I had written such a thing", 18 year old girl continues telling. 

During the so-called cross-examination the father repeated all the time, that "my child could not do such a thing; there is somebody else behind this". Vardanyan beat the father in front of the daughter.

"I wanted to look at my father, but they were closing in front of me. When my father said in a bit higher voice what I have to confess, Vardanyan beat my father in such a way that he fell on the floor, and he continued beating him on the ground. My father holding his back stood up in tears... I could not hold myself and started to cry in a loud voice.

Before cross-examination the investigator brought the sisters home to get necessary material evidence.

"Before getting our home Vardanyan was telling me to take a cloth from home and to say that everything happened on that cloth".

When they got home, they found out that they hadn't taken the keys, though they had seized it from the father. They made the girl to enter the house from the window and open the door.

"I found the cloth that they wanted, because I had felt in the police station what they are able to do: It was the fourth day, but I hadn't eaten anything, they had just left me from the cross-examination.

The girl said that her relatives did not know that she was made to write down false testimony before submitting a claim to the prosecutor's office. She didn't go home for some time because she was afraid and ashamed.

"Then I came home and told the truth, as it had happened. I came at night so that the villagers didn't see me. I am afraid now too, this feeling is not leaving me. Sometimes when I am alone I think what they will do with me, how they will treat me. I am sure that policemen would kill me, and cannot drop that feeling".

The girl says that she has submitted enough facts about Tigran to the police, which can help to find him.

As it was mentioned in our previous article on the first day of the trial on September 1, the police "organized an attack" and tried to kidnap the girls from the court of Aragatsotni marz located in Ashtarak. Prosecusiotn against her has continued for several days. During the trial of September 4, the policemen managed to bring her to the Chief investigation department illegally. The defense attorney was not allowed to be with his client and only after 1 and a half hour he was allowed to enter Ashtarak police station, after the interference of human rights' defender.

"They are angry with me that I have changed my testimonies, and have told the truth in the court", says the girl.

Zhanna Aleksanyan

P.S. Considering the specificity of the case we don't think that publishing the place of residence of the family and their names will be appropriate. One of the villagers told us that this family had a good reputation in the village, "They are truthful, honest poor people", but two years ago when the girls' mother passed away, the family became poorer, "their father worked in a stone mine, moved heavy stones to keep his daughters, and now the policemen ruined their home".