The son of a national lawmaker who was caught on video beating a woman in a restaurant in the eastern city of Luhansk could avoid jail time after she agreed to sign an amicable agreement retracting claims against him.
Maria Korshunova, who was hospitalized for with concussion and bruises after the July attack, reportedly signed the agreement on Oct. 31.
Volodymyr Landik, a pro-presidential lawmaker and father of the man seen beating her, Roman Landik, earlier threatened to push for a criminal case against Korshunova, who he claimed had attacked his son.
A video of the scuffle, where the 37-year-old Landik beats the 20-year-old model and drags her by her hair through a crowded restaurant in Luhansk on July 4, went viral when posted on the Internet. News portals and chat sites were filled with comments decrying the impunity with which Ukraine’s political and business leaders act.
Landik was eventually detained in the Russian town of Krasnodar and extradited to Ukraine, where he is currently awaiting trial.
Maria Korshunova
Lawyers say the agreement that Korshunova signed could mean that Landik is released from pre-trial detention and any sentence reduced when the case is heard in a Luhansk district court. He could be jailed for up to five years on charges of hooliganism if convicted.
Vasyl Bahanets, a lawyer and a former general prosecutor deputy, said the court may use the agreement as a mitigating circumstance and, if convicted, hand him a suspended sentence.
I have no claims against Roman Volodymyrovych Landik, and he has none to me either. A baby will be born to him soon, and I don’t want to deprive him of paternal care. He has to bring his child up and not to be in jail.
– Maria Korshunova
The restaurant’s security video shows Roman Landik reaching across a table, purposefully spilling a drink on Korshunova. She throws a drink back at him.
Landik then punches her. She hits him back in the head with what looks like a bottle or glass. He launches into a violent assault on the girl, punching her and wrestling her across a table.
The fight ends after a few minutes. Calm returns to the restaurant. But Landyk later returns and throws more blows.
He grabs her by the arm, and pulls her onto the floor, dragging her along by her hair.
Volodymyr Landik claimed that Korshunova was the aggressor.
“If you have seen the whole video from the beginning to the end you could have seen that when my son approached Korshunova, she poured a glass of vodka in his face first and then hit him in the temple area with a decanter,” he said. “After I saw that I demanded to conduct an investigation as to whether she could have killed my son.”
According to Landik, when Korshunova heard about his intentions, she offered to sign the amicable agreement. On Oct. 31, Korshunova signed a statement where she stated that she has no claim against Landik’s son.
“I have no claims against Roman Volodymyrovych Landik, and he has none to me either,” Korshunova said in a statement published by local media. “A baby will be born to him soon, and I don’t want to deprive him of paternal care. He has to bring his child up and not to be in jail.”
A district court in Luhansk will now decide Landik’s fate after police submitted the case to court.
Volodymyr Landik said that even if his son is set free, there can be no question of financial compensation for Korsunova’s signing the agreement.
The following is the videotape of Landik beating Korshunova in July:
Kyiv Post staff writer Oksana Faryna can be reached at [email protected]
