Ukrainian teacher Galina Kovalenko has been accused of trying to sell a 13-year-old girl for $10,000 to organ harvesters, reported Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov on Facebook. Teachers in the U.S. are sadly not much better, with recent cases of teachers having sex with students and teachers getting accidentally impregnated by students.
Avakov wrote that police arrested the 52-year-old Kovalenko, who taught English, Russian, and literature. Kovalenko had more than 20 years teaching experience, reported the BBC. Avakov’s Facebook post, which included photos of Kovalenko as well as the student almost sold, said police had been watching Kovalenko and the girl for four months before the teacher's eventual arrest. According to Avakov, police had been tipped off about Kovalenko’s intentions to sell the girl, which prompted the surveillance. During that time, Avakov said a buyer hinted at wanting to sell the girl’s organs. The buyer asked about the girl’s health and paid Kovalenko approximately $39 for the girl’s medical records and photos.
Kovalenko had been planning to sell the 13-year-old for almost a year. "They got this seller 'red-handed'—when she took the girl out of the boarding school, brought her to the buyers and received money," wrote Avakov. The girl was at a boarding school in Kharkiv for orphans and troubled teens.
If convicted, Kovalenko could face three to 12 years in prison.
