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In Astrakhan, probe launched in death of little girl of dog attack

The Astrakhan Region Office of the Investigative Committee has initiated criminal proceedings against a 56-year-old local resident suspected of inflicting death to a girl by negligence (Part 1 of Article 109 of the RF Penal Code).

The investigators have revealed that on the afternoon of 7 April 2016, the suspect who lives in a single-family house in Trusovsky District of Astrakhan let his dog, an Asian shepherd, to his yard which had no enclosure. The dog dug a hole under the fence, ran outside and attacked a 5-year-old girl. The girl died before the ambulance arrived.

At present, the dog has been put down, while her owner has been detained and is expecting a restraint. An investigative team is working at the scene looking into all the details of the incident. The investigation is ongoing.

The Investigative Committee has always responded quickly and toughly to each crime committed against a child. The Committee will do everything so that the owners of the dog who failed to isolate the animal and other persons responsible for controlling the safety of citizens are brought to justice.

It has to be noted that this is not the only attack of dogs on people. In 2016 alone a number of similar cases, including fatal ones, have been registered in several regions of Russia.

In January 2016, a pack of dogs bit a 41-year-old local resident in Mordovia. The woman died of massive loss of blood. In February 2016, a dog bit 5 teenagers on the premises of school in the town of Zarinsk, Altai Territory. The Mordovia and Altai Territory Offices of the Investigative Committee have opened criminal investigations in a crime under Article 293 of the RF Penal Code (negligence). In addition, a criminal probe has been launched today in a crime under Part 1 of Article 238 of the RF Penal Code (rendering services for catching stray animals, that do not meet life and health safety standards) after an attack of stray dogs on a woman. The woman is in hospital, while several similar attacks of dogs on people are being checked.

It should be mentioned that on different stages of the criminal proceeding investigators pay special attention to find out the reasons and conditions that contributed to the crime.

The investigative Committee also takes all possible measures to hold responsible the officials who failed to ensure the safety of people attacked by dogs. This way, in Transbaikalian Territory, deputy head of the administration and chairman of the housing utilities committee of the town of Chita have been prosecuted for negligence after a girl had died of dog bites.