News

The Leningrad Region Office of the Investigative Committee has pressed charges against SUV driver Vladimir Belsky who ran over a child and used violence against him. He is accused of disorderly behavior using objects that can be used as weapons under Part 1, item “a” of Article 213 and illegal deprivation of liberty of a minor under Part 2, item “d” of Article 127 of the RF Penal Code.

According to investigators on 9 March 2017 two children had been playing near a road shooting from a toy gun at passing cars in the town of Priozyorsk, Leningrad Region. Belsky angered by their behavior ran over one of the boys, then got out of the vehicle and used violence against him. He forced the boy to kneel down and held him in this position until policemen arrived.

Belsky was detained and delivered for an interrogation during well-planned investigative and search operations. After the incident Belsky had not gone to an investigator, but hidden and given interviews to media. Later on, while being wanted he went to a talk show but was detained by police on his way.

At the interrogation the man offered his own version of the incident, denying the use of violence against the child. He said that he had stopped children’s disorderly behavior. However, footage pulled from surveillance cameras show a different picture. A court will soon consider a request to place Belsky in custody pending trial. The case has been passed over to the regional major cases office of the Investigative Committee for the most thorough and quickest investigation.

The investigators are going to give legal assessment to the actions (omission) of police officers when they first learnt about the crime and those who went to the scene.

The investigation is being supervised by the Chairman of the Investigative Committee in person.