News

Mass media reported in November that a Russian teenage girl was going to commit suicide in Turkey.

At that time the Saint Petersburg Directorate of the Investigative Committee was already looking into the circumstances surrounding the girl’s departure to Turkey and possible offences being committed against her, as part of an investigation opened in October 2017 after the girl’s relatives had filed a complaint.

So far, the version of suicide solicitation has not been confirmed.

The investigators are now checking the girl’s living conditions both in Saint Petersburg and abroad, relationships in the family and at school, her circle of acquaintances and the role inspecting authorities were playing in the situation. Following the probe, they are going to give legal assessment to the actions of authorized officials responsible for raising and educating the teenager, as well as providing necessary aid to her when she was in complicated situation.

To protect the rights of the teenager, the Saint Petersburg Directorate of the Investigative Committee points out that according to the law on the mass media, journalists are obliged to check credibility of the information they report. This is why we once more call for the mass media and public to refrain from spreading unreliable information on the incident as it may incur liability.