- Moldovan Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatyi has distanced himself from an incident involving a 19-year-old soldier. The conscript serves in the Ștefan cel Mare 2nd Motorized Infantry Brigade. He is accused of attacking an elderly woman in her home.
- The Question Remains Unanswered
- What If He Had Not Returned?
Moldovan Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatyi has distanced himself from an incident involving a 19-year-old soldier. The conscript serves in the Ștefan cel Mare 2nd Motorized Infantry Brigade. He is accused of attacking an elderly woman in her home.
On the night of October 11, a 75-year-old woman in Căușeni District suffered a terrifying attack. A man wearing a hood broke into her home and punched her. She ran outside, but he chased her and continued beating her. A neighbour intervened and saved her.
Later, the woman told investigators that the attacker had tried to undress her. This statement turned the case from an alleged robbery into a case involving attempted rape.
That same night, someone entered another home. The intruder pushed the homeowner to the floor. Later, a third person contacted the police. Someone had also entered her home without permission.
Police quickly identified a suspect. He was a 19-year-old local man serving in the Ștefan cel Mare 2nd Motorized Infantry Brigade. Police opened three criminal cases against him. They also detained him for 72 hours.
Defence Ministry spokesperson Ala Diaconu later confirmed the information.
This raises a simple question: why was a conscript away from his barracks at night? How did he end up in his home village and allegedly commit several crimes?
There had been no previous reports of him attempting to rape elderly women or breaking into homes. So what is happening inside the military unit where he serves? What kind of training do soldiers receive there? What could have happened to this young man that led to such alleged violence and theft?
Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatyi was asked who should take responsibility. His answer was blunt and cynical.
“Conscripts are not in prison. They have passes and leave. They can go outside the military unit. Outside the unit, they are responsible for their own actions,” Nosatyi said.
In other words, commanders are responsible while a soldier remains inside the unit. Once he walks out of the gates, the problem becomes everyone else’s — except, apparently, the Defence Ministry’s.
The Question Remains Unanswered
Journalists asked whether the military would launch an internal investigation. They also wanted to know whether the soldier would face disciplinary action. Another question concerned army oversight: does the military monitor what conscripts do while on leave?
Nosatyi did not answer these questions directly.
“The young man was detained by the police. Investigative measures are under way. A decision will be made based on the facts established,” the minister said.
In effect, he left the matter to the police and the courts. The military authorities appear to be distancing themselves from the case. Yet the suspect is a serving conscript, and the incident raises questions about how soldiers leave their units and what happens while they are away.
What If He Had Not Returned?
Consider another problem. A conscript was allegedly able to travel dozens of kilometres from his unit at night. He is now suspected of committing several crimes. This raises serious questions about oversight in the Moldovan army.
Either the control system is failing, or the military is not holding people accountable.
In August, Nosatyi spoke confidently about “strengthening the country’s resilience” and “ensuring a safe environment for citizens.” But this case raises a different question: does public safety depend on whether a soldier returns to the barracks before lights-out?
According to the minister’s reasoning, an incident outside the unit is not the Defence Ministry’s responsibility.
The 75-year-old woman from Căușeni was beaten and says the attacker tried to undress her. She is unlikely to care about this legal distinction. To her, the man is not simply “a conscript on leave.” He is the person who allegedly broke into her home and attacked her.
Her questions to the Defence Ministry will not be about where the military unit’s boundaries lie.
