News

Alexander Bastrykin has presided today over a meeting of the RF Investigative Committee’s Board held to discuss consideration of reports on crimes and investigation of cases opened over violations of rights and legal interests of minors in organizing children’s holidays and improvement of their health, including in swimming pools and at fun fairs.

The meeting was attended by the following: Children Rights Commission under the RF President Anna Kuznetsova, Human Rights Commissioner of the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova, Vice-Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Social Politics Alexander Varfolomeyev, Head of the Investigations Oversight Directorate of the RF Prosecutor General’s Office Valery Maksimenko, Secretary of the State – Deputy Director of the Federal Consumer Rights Protection Services Mikhail Orlov, Director of the Russian Public Health Ministry’s Emergency Medicine and Expert Examinations Department Oksana Guzeva, member of the Coordination Council for Development of Children’s Tourism under the RF Government, Chairman of the Rosturizm Civic Council’s Children and Youth Tourism Commission Sergei Mindelevich, leadership and staff of the Investigative Committee and other invited guests.

Opening the meeting the Chairman of the Investigative Committee said that “one of the most important missions of the state children policy in the Russian Federation is proper organization of children’s holidays and improvement of their health. In 2015, the Investigative Committee’s bodies investigated 127 criminal cases of that category and 88 more were opened in the first half of 2016. 83 cases have been referred to courts (53 in 2015, 30 in the first half of 2016). In a year and a half we recognized as injured parties 658 minors, 56 of those children died, 38 suffered grievous bodily harm, 28 – medium bodily harm and 277 – minor bodily harm. Most of the criminal proceedings were initiated into injuring children during their stay at summer health camps (up to 30%). Approximately the same number of cases (15%) were opened into services provided in swimming pools, including waterparks, and other firms of organized group holidays (hiking trips, excursion, field trips).”

Mr. Bastrykin reminded about the tragedy that happened in June in Karelia and shocked the whole country. Then, 14 children on holidays in Park-Hotel Syamozero sanatorium and health camp drowned due to negligence and multiple violations. “The tragedy demonstrated once more that privately-owned camps, non-commercial organizations, tent camps and camps which run programs that can pose potential risk to children’s health and lives need to be paid special attention by the state authorities,” Mr. Bastrykin noted. He had looked into a number of initiatives put forth by the Investigative Committee and aimed at ensuring safety of children’s holidays. He suggested that compulsory forming and keeping special rosters of children’s holidays and health organizations should be considered at the state level. “Our suggestions have been reflected in the federal bill “On making amendments to some of legislative acts of the Russian Federation to ensure rights of children on holidays and improvement of their health, and to protect their lives and health” which was submitted to the State Duma by a group of members of the Federation Council on 11 October 2016. Besides, taking into account that organizing children’s holidays and improvement of their health falls into the high-risk category and we believe that it should be considered that inspectorates and oversight authorities should have a right to run unplanned checks on children’s holiday facilities,” the Chairman said.

Speaking to the heads of territorial offices of the Investigative Committee, Mr. Bastrykin said that “the priority in our work in 2017 and next years should be proper ensuring of safety children’s holidays and prevention of children’s injuries, including the ones got in swimming pools and at fun fairs.” To do that, if there are grounds the Investigative Committee’s bodies should immediately undertake measures to prosecute people who commit crimes in children’s camps; during investigations, assessment should be given to the activity of controlling and oversight authorities regarding discharge of their duties by officials, to seek that the reasons for and conditions of the crimes committed against children were really eliminated.

Tatyana Moskalkova said that to ensure safe children’s holidays not only improvement of legal framework is needed, but public control as well. Joint work by the Investigative Committee and the Human Rights Ombudsman will be determined by a recently signed cooperation agreement. Anna Kuznetsov also supported the idea of making respective amendments to laws, and suggested that similar meetings should be held with representatives of concerned agencies and organizations in all Russian regions.

All the initiatives put forth will be reflected in the decision made by the board and will be implemented.

Acting Head of Media Relations S.L. Petrenko