The head of one of the psychiatric boarding schools in the Khmelnytskyi region and a nurse have been notified of suspicion regarding the transfer of individuals, committed for the purpose of exploitation using a vulnerable state, by prior agreement (part 2 of Article 149 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The investigation has established that from March to June 2025, they, using the vulnerable state of the patients, transferred two men for forced labor.

The women persuaded them to wait for the "client" outside the boarding school, and then to go to his farm. They promised the victims good food and to buy cigarettes in exchange for physical labor.

Law enforcement officers stopped the illegal activities of the head and the employee of the psychiatric boarding school after another transfer of patients for labor exploitation.

Under the procedural guidance of the Khmelnytskyi regional prosecutor's office, the pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the migration police department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Khmelnytskyi region with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine in the Khmelnytskyi region.

The suspects face up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.

Note: according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a guilty verdict of the court.