Alexander Taratuta, 49, has been executed in Belarus for the torture and murder of his three-year-old son Semyon. He was shot dead by a state executioner on Monday, according to Andrei Paluda, coordinator of the Human Rights Defenders Against the Death Penalty in Belarus, as reported by The Sun.
Taratuta and his wife Anastasia Taratuta, 40, were both convicted in 2023 for the brutal murder of their toddler. The mother was handed a 25-year prison sentence. Belarus does not carry out capital punishment on women, which is why she avoided the death penalty.
Death sentence and 'pure hell' abuse
Taratuta was handed the death sentence in January 2024. Belarus does not officially disclose when criminals are shot to death.
The court was told that the “wealthy” Taratuta couple inflicted a life of “pure hell” on their son Semyon, who weighed only 15 lbs when he died. A paramedic described the boy as being “like a skeleton, covered in skin” at the time of his death.
His parents forced him to sleep on bare linoleum flooring, with him often being left numb due to the cold conditions. The court heard that his mother regularly punched him, threw him at her husband or against a wall, and chucked objects at him as punishment for soiling the floor. He was also regularly deprived of food.
Fatal kick and court statements
One court report said: “His parents, instead of watching over him, simply insulted, humiliated and beat him.” In court, his father denied abusing him and instead claimed he was simply “educating” him.
In January 2023, he kicked Semyon in the head “to make him sit on the floor”. The three-year-old fell and “showed no signs of life”. A paramedic said: “The boy was very thin, like a skeleton, covered in skin, looking like an African child with a big belly. There was an abrasion on his head and a piece of hair was missing.” His eye socket was “torn almost to the temple” after the fatal blow.
Belarus’ general prosecutor said the pair were motivated by “personal hostility” towards Semyon and had intended to kill him. The couple also share two other children, their eldest daughter who they treated like a “princess” and their youngest child who they also reportedly gave lots of attention to.
Execution method and final statement
After Semyon's death, his mother went and bought lollipops for her two other children. Alexander said in his final statement to the court that he regretted that his life had “turned out this way”. He said: “There were no intentions, no conspiracies. I didn’t want to kill, there were no such thoughts.” He added that he was sorry the last kick was “too strong”.
Belarus is the only European country where the death penalty still exists. Those on death row are blindfolded and forced to kneel before being shot in the back of the head, a method which dates back to executions carried out during Stalin's Soviet era.
