Runaway brides are not acquitted of their debts

The other day, the Federal Court of St.Petersburg considered a very interesting case, a realistic one, I would even say a case about love and its final end as well. Pavel Rudenko, the ex-assistant of the district prosecutor, was brought to court. His acquaintance Olga Shadrina, a student of the St.Petersburg Economy and Finance Institute, was the claiment. Pavel Rudenko was accused of committing large–scale blackmail of the girl.

The story began in spring of 1997, when the two met. The relationship developed rapidly and could have ended with a marriage, but it then went wrong, as often happens in the life. But the sum of $800 lent to the girl by Mr.Rudenko within the period of his passion became the stumbling-block in the people’s further relations.

In spring of 1998, Olga Shadrina bought an apartment and left the place where she lived together with Pavel Rudenko. Mr.Rudenko was not aware of her new residence, but he tried to find her to get his money ($800) back. Her ex-boyfriend just wanted to get his money back.

Furthermore, the events took a rather unexpected turn. In June of 1998, Olga Shadrina appealed to law-enforcement authorities because of the blackmailing threats from her ex-boyfriend. He asked to give back $5,000, not the $800 he had given to her earlier. He also expected interest. An inquiry of the case discovered nothing illegal in Rudenko’s actions.

But in a month, the man forced open the door of the girl’s apartment. Another claim was submitted to the law enforcement authorities, but nothing illegal was discovered in Rudenko’s actions once again. After numerous insistent requests, Shadrina’s appeal was allowed, and her telephone was tapped. The recorded telephone talks with Pavel Rudenko became the basic evidence of the blackmail.

As a result, the federal court of St.Petersburg sentenced Pavel Rudenko to a one-year imprisonment. However, later, the charge was changed from #163 of the RF Criminal Code (blackmailing) to #330 clause (arbitrariness). The court decreed that Pavel Rudenko would not be able to take up managerial or any other posts in state structures within two years. In addition, the accused will not spend a day in a jail, because the court decided to grant amnesty to Pavel Rudenko.

Translated by Maria Gousseva