News

The Saint Petersburg Directorate of the Investigative Committee continues the investigation into solicitation to suicide (Part 4 of Article 33, Article 110 of the RF Penal Code) in closed groups on social networking site Vkontakte (VK).

The investigators with operative support from agents of the Interior Ministry and Federal Security Service have held on 16 November in Moscow Region, the first suspect, the administrator of one of groups of death Filipp Budeikin, registered online as Filipp Lis (Fox) and living in the town of Solnechnogorsk, Moscow Region. By now he has been escorted to Saint Petersburg and the court has ruled to take him in custody pending trial. He has been interrogated, but refused to make a statement.

In addition, the investigators have carried out searches in 10 regions of Russia – Krasnodar territory, Komi Republic and Bashkortostan, Moscow, Volgograd, Voronezh, Tula, Kemerovo, Novosibirsk, Omsk Regions. They searched residences of administrators and members of the group of death registered as Filipp Lis, Filipp More (Sea), Miron Stekh, Keeper of the Truth, and others. All of them have been interrogated and have given detailed evidence telling that Filipp Lis encouraged and pushed teenagers to take their own lives via correspondence in social network VKontakte. The investigators have confiscated from them and Budeikin electronic data carriers and other materials that may be relevant to the probe.

By now the investigators have identified 15 victims – teenagers who were members of groups of death and have committed suicides in different regions of Russia. Five more have not succeeded. According to results of a psychological and linguistic inquiry, messages sent by the administrators of the group contain promotion of suicide.

The investigators have ordered that the confiscated electronic data carriers be processed for the evidence, and after that they will be ready to give legal assessment to the actions of all administrators and members of so-called groups of death. A number of inquiries are planned to take place, including a forensic psychiatric evaluation of the suspect. Exhaustive measures are being taken to prevent such events in the first place.