Alexei Varakin

Alexei Andreyevich Varakin (; born 1986), known as The Prostitute Killer , is an Uzbekistani serial killer. Originally interned at a psychiatric clinic for the murder of two prostitutes in Saint Petersburg in 2010, he was released after 11 years – two years later, he committed two similar murders in Moscow. He was again judged to be insane on the moment of the murders, and interned at another psychiatric facility.

Varakin's crimes caused a public outcry and discussion about the treatment of violent offenders with mental issues.

Early life Very little is known about Varakin's early life. Born in 1986 in Tashkent, in the Uzbek SSR, he began to show signs of a mental illness early on in his childhood. In the mid-1990s, he underwent a psychiatric examination and was diagnosed with schizophrenia, for which he was treated in various clinics around Tashkent on four separate occasions.

Murders Saint Petersburg On 1 April 2010, the 23-year-old Varakin went to an escort agency located on Zakharievskaya Street in Saint Petersburg, where he hired two women, 18 and 42, respectively. While they were undressing in an adjacent room, Varakin searched their clothes and purses for valuables. After the women noticed that some of their personal items were missing, Varakin attacked them, stabbing both multiple times. After killing the women, he stole about 100,000 rubles in cash, a laptop, cell phones and a bag of cosmetics.

Treatment and release In the mid-2010s, Varakin's mother filed a petition requesting that her son be transferred to a similar institution in Uzbekistan. She refused, claiming that she was too drunk – enraged at her refusal, Varakin grabbed a knife and stabbed her to death, before ultimately beheading her. He managed to smuggle her corpse out of the hotel and dumped it in the Izmailovo Park Estate, where it was discovered the next day.

Two days later, Varakin met 25-year-old Vladislava "Vlada" Skitskaya, a native of Krasnodar who prostituted herself on dating websites. The woman invited him to her apartment, located in an elite housing complex near the Moscow City business district.

On 25 December, Varakin was charged with the two murders and remanded in custody by the Presnensky District Court until 24 February 2024. At the court hearing, Varakin shouted at the judge and prosecutors, kept his back to the court and attempted to hide his face under a hood. He agreed to be remanded in custody, but demanded that he be placed in solitary confinement while he was lodged in the pre-trial detention center.

Trial and second internment On 28 January 2025, Varakin's trial opened in the Moscow City Court. In it, he pleaded guilty to one of the murders, but did not do so for the second one, claiming that it was "necessary" to kill her. He also stated that he was not ready to testify at that stage and that he needed to consult with his lawyer.

Throughout the initial proceedings, Varakin did not hide his face from reporters and allowed himself to be photographed, carefully studying folders related to the case. However, at the same time, he demonstrated multiple instances of bizarre behavior, such as constantly smiling at the judge; answering questions in a high-pitched voice and demanding that the trial be held behind closed doors to avoid publicity regarding his mental illness.

Internal investigation After Varakin's arrest, due to public outcry caused by his crimes, discussions began in the State Duma on the need to strengthen control over patients who committed violent crimes, with the assertion that they should be supervised not only by doctors, but also law enforcement. Deputy Chairman Alexey Kurinny said at the end of December 2023 that he believes it would be advisable to transfer information about patients with criminal records from psychiatric clinics to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for parallel supervision.

Kurinny emphasized that the investigation will clarify the degree of stability of Varakin's mental state, and the doctors who issued the release order would be put under scrutiny. According to a number of lawyers, if any mistake is found and it is established that they released Varakin without the necessary requirements, the medical workers can be charged with criminal negligence and face penalties up to 10 years imprisonment.