Forbes: Pavel Durov accused by ex-partner of abusing young son, under investigation in Switzerland

Telegram founder Pavel Durov is under investigation in Switzerland over a criminal complaint filed by his former partner Irina Bolgar alleging child abuse. Bolgar says he has three children with Durov. The criminal complaint filed in Geneva in March 2023 alleges that Durov physically abused one of his three children. Bolgar filed a civil lawsuit for child custody soon after. Both cases were filed months after Bolgar accused Durov of stopping paying 150,000 euros ($167,500) in monthly child support, court documents show. The Geneva Public Prosecutor's Office initially refused to open a case when it received the criminal complaint against Durov because it was filed more than three months after the most recent alleged incident of physical violence. Bolgar appealed in May 2023, and the court allowed the case to proceed last October. According to Geneva court officials, the case is ongoing, with Bolgar accusing Durov of injuring their youngest son (born in September 2017) five times between 2021 and 2022. The incidents allegedly caused injuries to the child, including concussions and sleep disturbances, and records of messages between Bolgar and Durov in November 2021 and a medical certificate from April 2023 were submitted as evidence. A representative for Durov declined to comment. A lawyer for Bolgar confirmed that Bolgar and his three children are involved in the civil case but declined to comment on the criminal proceedings. Under Swiss law, Durov, Bolgar and their children are not publicly named in the criminal case, but there are multiple details in the case that identify Durov, including the year of his children's birth, the case number of the child custody civil case, Durov's residence in the United Arab Emirates, and his net worth. According to Bolgar's attorney, Durov did not contest the child custody case, which was ruled in Bolgar's favor in May 2023 and reaffirmed in February 2024. It is unclear whether he has hired an attorney for the criminal lawsuit. Bolgar's attorney confirmed that she also filed a civil lawsuit for child support against Durov in June 2024, which is still ongoing. (Forbes)