‘Tyrant' dad killed by his 3 daughters after he abused them is posthumously found guilty as girls could now walk FREE
The three sisters, who were charged with murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison, could now be acquitted and allowed to walk free.
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A Moscow court found Mikhail Khachaturyan, 57, guilty of violent sexual acts against them, intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm, and production of pornography involving them.
His daughters, Krestina, Angelina and Maria Khachaturyan - now in their 20s - admitted to killing the 'tyrant'.
All three alleged that they faced 'systematic torture' at his hands including rapes and beatings.
The high-profile case saw investigators testify the sisters were repeatedly tortured, sexually abused and raped - sparking outcry from Russian lawyers and human rights activists.
But seven years after Mikhail was killed with his own hunting rifle, a Russian court found the dad guilty of all the charges pressed against him in a victory for the daughters.
Their legal teams hope the murder cases against them will now be dismissed or that they will be acquitted with their actions recognised as self-defence.
Evidence presented in court included a post-mortem analysis that concluded the father was a child sex attacker with 'a tendency to aggression' who had "special sexual preferences aimed at his own daughters'.
He had made repeated death threats to the girls and said he would kill them, according to the report from the Serbsky Institute of Psychological, Psychiatric and Medical Examinations.
The report found the abusive father manipulated his daughters with threats, violence, humiliation, as well as used 'beatings, mocking them, and physical and sexual abuse'.
He also allegedly made pornographic videos involving his daughters, which he posted on the internet.
Mari Davtyan, lawyer of Angelina, said: 'The examinations confirmed the father's violence against his daughters…
'The experts found that each of the girls since 2014 suffered from abuse syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder - all of these conditions have a direct causal relationship to Khachaturian's actions.'
Defence lawyers had pressed for the murder allegations to be dropped against all the sisters or mitigated by re-categorising the case as causing death by 'self-defence'.
Ms Davtyan said that he had shot at the girls using a non-lethal gun, which gave them reason to fear for their lives since he also owned more powerful weapons.
She added: "They had no shadow of doubt that he would shoot - first of all because he had done it.
"He shot at the girls just for fun. He checked his traumatic gun by shooting into the leg of his daughter just for a joke.
Another lawyer Alexei Parshin said: 'We are waiting for further actions and decisions from the [Russian] Investigative Committee regarding the fate of the girls.'
Anna Rivina, director of an anti-domestic violence organisation and a human rights activist, said: 'We live in a country where it is easier for a woman to die than to try to protect herself.'
'I would like very much to hope that the Khachaturyan sisters' case can be used to show the absurdity of law enforcement and, perhaps, even change the judicial practice, but, to be honest, there is little hope left.
'Self-defence is considered only if you are already specifically targeted with an axe, and in no case can you defend yourself with something more terrible than an axe.'
Evidence reported from the investigation indicates the father told one of his 'terrified' daughters: 'You will take the place of your mother.
'I will marry you and you will give birth to my baby.'
Meanwhile, other family members have accused the sisters of lying about their father's sexual abuse and seeking his money by killing him.
Vowing to appeal the court's latest verdict, the dead man's sister, Naira Khachaturyan, said: 'We have already suffered.
'Now it's for the society to decide whether to believe these murderers.'
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Domestic abuse - how to get help
DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone - including men - and does not always involve physical violence.
Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship:
Emotional abuse - Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse - gaslighting - being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to
Threats and intimidation - Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you
Physical abuse - This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten.
Sexual abuse - Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent.
If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers:
The Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247 for free at any time, day or night
Men who are being abused can call Respect Men's Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or ManKind on 0182 3334 244
Those who identify as LGBT+ can ring Galop on 0800 999 5428
If you are in immediate danger or fear for your life, always ring 999
Remember, you are not alone.
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime.
Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.
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