Using compromising material, an individual from Kyzylorda coerced a 22-year-old girl into engaging in sexual intercourse. The victim reported the incident to the police with the intention of seeking punishment for the 28-year-old man. A criminal case has been initiated under the charge of «Extortion.» The suspect is awaiting a court decision while in pre-trial detention.

There Are Many Ways To That

Human vices, momentary weaknesses, and «mistakes of the young age» are all tools used by blackmailers, to which they resort again and again. Using psychological tactics, they not only extort significant sums of money from their victims but also achieve intimacy through these means.

According to Article 194 of the new Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, blackmail is not considered a separate crime but is regarded as a form of extortion.

As explained by legal experts, this was done for the convenience of investigation. Otherwise, all the nuances would have to be detailed, and legislators apparently chose not to go for it.

Extortion – Kazakh Style

Extortion is mostly considered a «male» crime, as over the past years, no Kazakhstani women have been involved in criminal cases as defendants or accomplices in this type of crime. Of course, women also resort to blackmail, but they have not been officially prosecuted under the law yet.

Regarding the punishment for extortion, it will depend on the severity of the offense committed. More often, the penalties involve imprisonment for the duration from 4 to 15 years along with property confiscation.

Such proceedings stoke the notorious Almaty group «Occupy, Pedophile!» in 2013, whose members used blackmail to combat pedophiles. They engaged in correspondence with rapists on behalf of children, lured them to secluded places, recorded videos, and threatened to expose compromising material. Some considered the group members to be folk heroes, while law enforcement officials viewed them as extortionists.

In the end, the anti-pedophile activists were convicted. The leader of the movement received 4 years of imprisonment, and his accomplices received sentences of 2 and 3 years of restricted freedom.

Husbands Exposed

Speaking about those who are most often subjected to blackmail, lawyers unanimously assert that spouses who are suspected of marital infidelity are particularly targeted, especially when it comes to property division.

In second place are negligent husbands who are accustomed to cheating. Often, 20-year-old prostitutes involved in infidelity cases turn out to be 15-year-olds in reality, demanding thousands of dollars in exchange for their silence.

It’s unclear how a man should act in such a situation: whether to pay a ransom or report to the police and seek help. First and foremost, lawyers naturally advise maintaining a moral stance and refraining from adultery. However, if a man does find himself in such a situation, the investigation must still prove that the suspect was aware of the young person’s age. Only then can criminal proceedings be initiated under Article 122 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan, which concerns «Sexual Intercourse or Other Actions of a Sexual Nature with a Person Under 16 Years of Age.» If it can be proven otherwise, the accused may be charged as an extortionist. Reconciliation between parties in cases of extortion is permissible if it falls under Part 1 of Article 194. The other three parts fall into the category of serious crimes, making reconciliation impossible under those circumstances.

When it comes to cases of extortion occurring abroad involving our compatriots, law enforcement agencies also respond promptly to them. Operatives often travel to Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. They also frequently extend their operations to European countries, the Baltic states, and Turkey.