The former abbot of the UOC monastery, on whose territory the man died, was accused of murder

The investigative commission that conducted a re-examination of the body of a man who died on the territory of the Holy Cross Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Starokostiantyniv established that the former abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Ioasaf (Gorkavchuk), may have been involved in the death. In connection with this, charges were brought against the priest and a preventive measure in the form of detention without the right to bail was chosen. This was reported to the publication “Suspilne.Khmelnytskyi” by the Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

“The priest, who was intoxicated, started a verbal conflict with a 51-year-old man. During the argument, he beat him, inflicting numerous blows with his hands and feet. The man died on the spot from his injuries,” – the prosecutor’s office said.

The 46-year-old priest was notified of his suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm resulting in the death of the victim (Part 2 of Article 121 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). He is currently being held in custody without the right to bail.

The suspect faces up to 10 years in prison.

On August 7, 2025, Metropolitan Victor (Kotsaba) of Khmelnytskyi and Starokostiantyniv visited the Holy Cross Monastery in Starokostiantyniv, where a tragic incident occurred a few days ago, resulting in the death of a man. After the visit, an order was issued to change the monastery’s leadership.