The Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors (QDCP) has disciplined Olga Bystrevska, a prosecutor with the Khadzhyбейska District Prosecutor’s Office in Odessa. The official approved criminal charges against a minor who, due to his age, was not legally subject to criminal liability for the alleged offense. As a penalty, she has been barred from promotions or transfers to higher-level offices for three months.
The criminal case involved the theft of a Yamaha moped. On September 20, 2025, an investigator drafted a notice of suspicion for a suspect who was under the age of 16 at the time of the incident. Ten days later, on September 30, Bystrevska, acting as the senior prosecutor of the case unit, officially approved the charge.
Under the Criminal Code of Ukraine, criminal liability for vehicle theft (Part 1, Article 289) applies only to individuals aged 16 and older. Consequently, the teenager could not legally face criminal prosecution under this statute. The oversight went unnoticed for over a month; the suspicion was finally revoked on November 3, and by late November, prosecutors submitted a motion to the court to apply educational reform measures instead.
Bystrevska, who has held her position at the district office since August 2025, admitted to the error. She attributed the oversight to an extreme workload, which caused her to overlook the suspect’s exact age. According to the prosecutor, she discovered the violation herself in late October and immediately reported it to her deputy supervisor and the regional office. Following an internal audit, Bystrevska was stripped of her performance bonuses for 2025.
QDCP Ruling: «The prosecutor failed to ensure a proper investigation into the circumstances regarding the minor, violated the requirements of Articles 283, 485, and 490 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, and failed to take timely measures to close the proceedings or apply alternative procedural decisions.»
The Commission classified Bystrevska’s actions as a failure to properly perform her official duties. However, the QDCP took several mitigating factors into account, including her positive professional evaluation, overall length of service, and her immediate admission of guilt.
As a result, the disciplinary sanction imposed on Olga Bystrevska restricts her career advancement. For the next three months, she is prohibited from transferring to higher-level prosecutorial bodies or being appointed to senior positions within her current department.