MINSK -- A teenager charged with attacking shoppers at a mall in Minsk and killing one woman with a chainsaw has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, the maximum term for a minor in Belarus.
In a March 3 decision, the Maskva District Court found 17-year-old Ulad Kazakevich guilty of murder with extreme violence, attempted murder, and the infliction of injuries. He was sentenced the same day.
Kazakevich was arrested on October 8 after police say he used a chainsaw and an ax to attack four women in the New Europe shopping mall in the former Soviet republic's capital.
One woman was killed and two were injured, while a fourth woman targeted in the attack escaped unharmed.
Kazakevich pleaded guilty.
Investigators said he suffered from psychological problems, but the court ruled that he was fit for trial.
Relatives of the victims called for a change in legislation that limits prison terms for minors to 15 years, saying Kazakevich deserved a more severe sentence.
Adults convicted of murder can be sentenced to death in Belarus, the only country in Europe that practices the death penalty.