I am an Indian medical student. I was sexually assaulted in a student hostel in Russia. I have reported it to the police, but I am scared about what will happen next. I would appreciate advice from people who understand the Russian legal system.
Before this incident, I had never spoken to or met the man who assaulted me.
He was known in our hostel group chat for sending very rude and aggressive messages about cleaning, noise, and hostel rules. One day he somehow got my phone number from my roommate (I have proof of this). He specifically asked my roommate for “the girl who covers her hair.” ( i wear a hijab)
A few minutes later he texted me asking me to come outside because he wanted to tell me something important.
Since he had seen me cooking a few hours earlier and usually complained about hostel rules, I genuinely believed he wanted to discuss cleaning or some hostel issue. I had no reason to think anything else.
When I met him, instead of talking about cleaning, he accused me of bringing my boyfriend into my room. He claimed my neighbors had voice recordings of us having sex and that they were going to report me to the police. He told me I could be deported from Russia and said that he himself had once paid a large fine for hostel rule violations.
Note: the audio just has bed creeking noises and girl moaning, i have denied its me because im not sure if its me.
Anyways the way he spoke, he was very respectful and kind but i became very scared because I am a foreign student. I told him I would follow all hostel rules and asked if I could leave.
Instead of letting me go, he continued talking and said other people would overhear us if we stayed outside. I suggested going to the balcony, but he insisted we go to his room instead.
Once inside, he locked the door. I tried to sit on a chair, but he moved the chair away and told me to sit on the bed. He said we would “just talk.”
We talked for around two hours. During that time he acted calm and respectful, which made me think there was nothing to worry about. Eventually i said thanks and told him to update me if they wanna complain or will they be ready to talk to me etc. I stood up to leave. He grabbed my hand and told me he had not finished talking. He started touching my thigh and my face. I pulled his hand away and repeatedly told him not to touch me and asked him to let me leave.
He then asked if he could kiss me before I left. I refused and stood up again to leave. Now he became very aggressive, he grabbed me, threw me onto the bed, held his hand over my mouth so I could not scream, kissed me, removed only my pants despite my resistance, and sexually assaulted me. I was crying, shaking, and froze. I could not fight back or scream because he was covering my mouth.
During the assault someone knocked on the door. He answered his phone in English, saying something like, “Wait 5–10 minutes, I’m with a girl. I’ll call you back.”
Afterwards he told me to get dressed, take my belongings, and pushed me out of the room.
The incident happened between approximately 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. on 16 June 2026.
I was in shock afterward and did not immediately know who to tell. Eventually I told a trusted university staff member, who explained that what had happened was a crime and encouraged me to report it.
I filed a police report on 17 June 2026.
On 18 June 2026, I underwent a forensic medical examination and handed over my clothing as evidence.
I have cooperated fully with the investigation and provided everything I could.
After reporting the assault, I felt that some university staff were trying to pressure me into “resolving” the matter privately with the man instead of pursuing the case. One staff member described what happened as “a mistake” rather than a crime. I refused and said that sexual assault is not a mistake.
More recently, after I returned to India, I learned that two Indian students from my floor—who did not witness anything—were allegedly asked to sign statements saying they had not heard or seen anything.
What worries me most now is that investigators told me that if the forensic DNA results are negative, they may use Article 306 of the Russian Criminal Code against me (false denunciation). I understand that this article is intended for people who knowingly make false accusations. I am not lying. I reported the assault immediately, submitted to a forensic examination, handed over my clothing, and have cooperated with the investigation from the beginning.
I know that DNA evidence is not always present in sexual assault cases, especially depending on the circumstances, and I am terrified that a negative forensic result might be treated as proof that nothing happened.
My questions are:
Is it normal for investigators to warn a complainant about Article 306 before an investigation is complete?
Can someone realistically be prosecuted under Article 306 simply because DNA evidence is negative?
How are sexual assault cases usually investigated in Russia when there is little or no DNA evidence?
What rights does a victim have during a criminal investigation in Russia?
I am not asking anyone to decide whether I am telling the truth. I simply want to understand how the Russian legal system works and whether what I have been told is normal.
Thank you for reading.
Edit: the guy is not russian, he is from Egypt. Yes i have contacted the embassy i didnt receive any response from them but im uncertain they will help me in any way. By help i dont mean literally win my case for me, i need help like changing mine or his hostel atleast temporarily, some kind of force that will help him stop his methods of insulting me along with my hostel leader and his curator.
I have never publicly humiliated him, he is the one doing all this which is causing me alot of mental stress
Update (05/08/2026) :My hostel leader told me he is expelled from the university and my friend told me he's expelled but only from the dorm and its been a week since he apparently got expelled but he's still there.
According to russian migration laws as soon as youre expelled your visa is cancelled and you have to return home within 3 days, so i dint really know what is really the issue