Survivor Speaks Out: Woman Reveals Horrific Abuse by Ex-Boyfriend

 

A courageous woman has come forward to share her harrowing experience of abuse at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, who subjected her to unimaginable cruelty after their relationship ended.

In October of the previous year, Oleg Schegolikhin, 33, reportedly ambushed Oksana Kuzmenko, 40, near her home in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Schegolikhin forcibly took Oksana to a car repair workshop where he worked as a welder. There, he nailed one of her legs to a wooden plank and used a corkscrew-like tool to inflict severe pain on the other leg before setting her on fire. He later extinguished the flames but only after she had sustained significant burns. Schegolikhin then drove Oksana towards the city of Asbest with the intention of killing and burying her in a forest.

In a desperate bid to save her life, Oksana deliberately crashed the car into another vehicle. Schegolikhin fled the scene as police arrived, but he was apprehended later that night. Oksana, found in a "terrible condition," recounted the horrifying ordeal to the authorities. She was diagnosed with severe burns to her upper limbs, upper respiratory tract, neck, face, and buttocks. Additionally, she had wounds from the nail and corkscrew in her limbs and was in grave condition at the hospital.

Schegolikhin was sentenced to 12 years in a strict regime penal colony by a Russian court for attempted murder with "extreme cruelty." However, he may not serve much time in jail, as he has volunteered to fight for President Vladimir Putin.

In a brave court testimony, Oksana detailed the chilling attack, describing how Schegolikhin beat her for an hour and threatened to kill her. She recounted, "He took off my boots. He took my left leg and hammered a nail into it. And in my right leg, he took something like a corkscrew and twisted this sharp object into my right leg. At the same time, he said that he would kill me. He gave me time until 4 am. He took out a cigarette and a lighter, and poured petrol. So, I lit up like a candle. He took a fire extinguisher but before this, he smoked a cigarette and watched me burning. He tore the burnt skin off my right hand."

Oksana's bravery in sharing her story sheds light on the horrific abuse she endured and serves as a testament to her strength and resilience.