The man who took three children hostage in Mereni, Anenii Noi, was sentenced to 13 years in jail and was obliged to pay 50,000 lei damages to the family of the victims. The information was confirmed for IPN by the man’s lawyer Victoria Burduja.

The lawyer said they will yet decide whether to challenge the court decision or not during the next 15 days. The man admitted his guilt.

The case happened at the start of last November. During the night the man insistently called his wife, who found shelter in the house of a relative together with the children, and threatened that he would kill her if she gives testimony in a case in which he was investigated. Scared, the 20-year-old woman left home, leaving the three children in the care of the female relative. The man entered the house of the older woman at about 6am. He stabbed her with a knife for several times and took the three minors aged one, four and seven years hostage. The youngest was his biological child. During the operation to catch the man, a police officer was hurt and needed medical care.