BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. (Court TV) — A teenager will serve her sentence in Florida’s juvenile justice system after pleading no contest to beating her grandmother to death.
Sofia Koval, 14, was charged as an adult with manslaughter in the May 23 death of her 79-year-old grandmother. On Wednesday, Koval entered a plea of no contest in a plea agreement.
Sofia Koval appears in court Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (Court TV)
Both sides worked out an agreement that Koval would serve her sentence in the juvenile justice system’s maximum-risk program for up to three years, followed by conditional release until she reaches the age of 21.
The judge warned that violating any terms of her release could expose her to adult prison and a sentencing range for manslaughter of 10 to 15 years.
Her father, Vladimir Koval, gave a victim impact statement — speaking in broken, accented English — honoring his mother and describing his family’s many challenges.
Vladimir recalled that his mother was born in Nazi-occupied France in 1944 – then returned to Ukraine where, despite the difficulties of living under a dictatorship, she educated herself and became a kindergarten teacher.
His mother overcame health issues, which included cancer, and came to the United States to live with him after his father died in 2015. He bemoaned how she overcame so many health challenges only to die in such a gruesome manner at the hands of her own granddaughter. “A grief that will stay with me to the end of my life,” stated Vladimir.
Vladimir also noted the many challenges Sofia had to overcome after the war in Ukraine forced his daughter out of school, and being home alone while her mother worked affected her childhood. He said Sofia created her own drama — complaining about bullying, attempted rape, drug abuse, none of the incidents could be confirmed – but acknowledged this was a red flag.
Sofia had a very difficult time adjusting to life in the United States and often yearned for her mother. Despite his efforts to make life as comfortable as possible for his daughter, there were behavioral issues at school, repeated reports of bullying, and she did not sleep at night. Vladimir said he tried to get her psychiatric help, but even with his insurance, he could not afford mental health treatment for his daughter.
Vladimir told the judge that his “heart is in pain” as he has lost his mother and daughter, but wanted his daughter to know he still loved her and hoped she could forgive herself. Sofia sat in the jury box and wiped away tears as she listened to her father’s statement.
Sofia made no further statements except to respond through her interpreter that she understood she was giving up her rights to appeal and a trial with her plea, and waived her right to a presentencing report.
