Comment on Ukrainian teenager pleads not guilty to killing grandmother

The Ukrainian teenager charged as an adult with killing her elderly grandmother after her cellphone got taken away by her dad formally pleaded not guilty to a manslaughter charge in a Broward courtroom Wednesday. Sofia Koval, 14, faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison if she’s convicted, though her age, her lack of criminal past, and her history as a refugee from the war between Russia and Ukraine are likely to be considered as arguments in favor of leniency. She could also be given juvenile sanctions, which would limit her jail term to three years, though she could still face deportation. According to court documents, Koval was at home with the victim, Yevheniia Koval, 79, on May 22 because her father, the victim’s son, was out visiting a friend.