LAUDERDALE LAKES, FLA. (WSVN) - A 14-year-old girl was sentenced to three years in juvenile jail after pleading no contest to a charge of manslaughter in adult court on Wednesday in connection with the beating death of her 79-year-old grandmother in Lauderdale Lakes.
Sofia Koval was sentenced to a maximum risk commitment program under the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, which is the highest level of juvenile commitment in the state, according to the Broward County State Attorney.
“Going to commit her to a maximum risk program for a period of time not to exceed 36 months,” said Broward Circuit Judge Thomas Coleman.
Her 36-month sentence will be followed by community supervision until she turns 21. Due to her status as a non-U.S. citizen, she is expected to face deportation to her native Ukraine upon completion of her sentence.
The decision comes after extensive discussions between prosecutors and the victim’s family, with the grandmother’s son, who is also Koval’s father, expressing support for the plea agreement in court.
The teen’s father, Volodymyr Koval, described the situation as “very, very difficult,” acknowledging the profound loss of both his mother and his daughter’s future. He told the court on Wednesday that his daughter is remorseful for what she did.
“She does not like to communicate about what happened and I understand. I don’t force her to it. The trauma has to be healed,” said Volodymyr.
He told the judge his daughter misses her mother, who remains in Ukraine and was struggling in school.
“My heart is in pain, you know. I am between both. My mother passed away and is not going to return,” said Volodymyr. “I’m losing my daughter and I don’t know how our relationship will develop after this. It’s hard to forgive, but I want to tell her that we still love her.”
7News cameras captured Sofia getting emotional as her father spoke to the judge about the case.
Volodymyr said he hopes Sofia can be rehabilitated. Despite losing his mother, he said he is choosing to keep his daughter by his side.
“To give her love, to understand that you can lose someone else,” said Volodymyr.
Sofia was adjudicated delinquent but had an adult criminal record.
Coleman, who retains jurisdiction over the case, accepted the plea, which allows for juvenile sanctions despite the severity of the charge. A no-contest plea indicates that Sofia does not dispute the manslaughter charge.
Had Sofia gone to trial, and been found guilty, she could’ve faced 15 years in prison.
The charges stem from an incident on May 23, when Broward County Sheriff’s deputies found the elderly victim unresponsive in a Lauderdale Lakes apartment. An autopsy revealed extensive bruising, head trauma and internal bleeding.
Officials said the girl and her grandmother were home alone when the attack happened.
Sofia reportedly admitted to striking her grandmother multiple times with a belt and suggested she had assisted in her grandmother’s death.
BSO said when the father returned home, “he found his mother unresponsive on the floor with multiple bruises on her body.”
Initially, Sofia was Baker Acted and transported to a mental health facility, where she allegedly confessed to the killing.
Following the investigation, a magistrate found probable cause for the manslaughter charge, and Sofia was held without bond before the plea agreement was reached.
As part of her sentence, Sofia will be eligible for conditional release, similar to probation, until her 21st birthday.
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