Ukrainian Ombudsman Calls for Investigation into Fake Reports About the Orphanage at Bancheny Monastery of the UOC

The Office of the Ukrainian Ombudsman responded to information about alleged «cases of child abuse» at the orphanage of the Bancheny Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Bukovina. Official requests were sent to relevant authorities to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation of the incidents. This was reported by Espresso.ua.

According to the Ombudsman’s Office, inquiries were sent to the National Social Service, the Main Directorate of the National Police in Chernivtsi region, and the Child Protection Service of the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration.

“The Secretariat of the Commissioner for Human Rights promptly responded to the information received and is coordinating actions to clarify the circumstances described in the appeals. Considering the need for additional verification, on May 21, 2025, official requests were sent to the relevant agencies demanding a comprehensive and objective investigation and assistance in protecting children’s rights,” the Ombudsman’s Office stated.

Earlier, the Chernivtsi regional police confirmed that a criminal proceeding was opened regarding possible violations by the orphanage staff at the monastery. Currently, information has been entered into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under the article concerning child exploitation.

It is worth noting that former wards of Metropolitan Longin (Zhar), who grew up under his care at the orphanage of the Bancheny Monastery, addressed an open video message to blogger Edgar Kalancha, denying the fake reports published in his series of videos on YouTube.