A computer science teacher at a private school in Shymkent was found guilty of sexual assault against a seven-year-old student. The court sentenced him to 200 hours of community service and ordered him to pay 6 million tenge to the victim. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

The case of the 36-year-old teacher was heard by the Interdistrict Criminal Court of Shymkent. The proceedings were held behind closed doors.

The teacher was found guilty under Article 121-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, "Sexual assault against persons under the age of sixteen." In addition to community service, he was ordered to pay 3 million tenge in compensation for moral harm and 3 million tenge for material damage.

The incident occurred in February 2026. According to the public foundation "NeMolchi.kz," the teacher committed sexual acts against a first-grader during a lesson, in the presence of other children. The incident was recorded by a surveillance camera.

After the girl's mother filed a complaint, police launched an investigation. The suspect was detained, and recordings from the school were seized.

Initially, the teacher was charged under Article 121-1 of the Criminal Code. However, during the proceedings, the court identified signs of a more serious crime — under Article 124 of the Criminal Code, "Corruption of persons under the age of sixteen" — and returned the materials for additional investigation.

The teacher appealed this decision. On October 8, the appellate panel upheld his appeal, canceling the ruling to return the case. As a result, the teacher was found guilty under the original article.

The "NeMolchi.kz" foundation expressed concern over the sentence.

"The crime occurred right during a lesson, in front of children, against a little girl. And he was punished with community service. The court also issued a private ruling regarding employees of the education department and the juvenile affairs inspector," the foundation said.

The verdict and the court's private ruling have not entered into legal force and may be appealed.