The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation held a personal reception of citizens session in Vologda. The reception was attended by Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee Igor Krasnov; chiefs of several Central Office divisions; as well as chiefs and employees of regional investigations offices, which process the probes and inspection materials that drew attention of the Chairman due to petitions of citizens. Citizens from Murmansk Region, Arkhangelsk Region and Nenets Autonomous District, as well as Vologda Region arrived at the personal reception in Vologda.

The personal reception of citizens was preceded by a working meeting of the Chairman of the Investigative Committee with Vologda Region Governor Oleg Kuvshinnikov. Alexander Bastrykin noted that a brutal crime committed in a foster family against 6-year-old Stepan, still in coma, was the reason for his visit. The governor admitted that the tragedy had been entailed by the formalist approach to the guardianship agencies and other social services, which had already been confirmed by their internal check. With reference to several cases of child abuse in Vologda Region, Bastrykin drew the Governor’s attention to the need to address a number of vital issues of prevention of crimes against minors in foster families, safe summer holiday organization in the region, and provision of high-quality medical care. With regard to a number of issues of citizens who applied for the Chairman personal reception, which were outside the purview of the Investigative Committee of Russia, the Vologda Region Governor assured that he personally would receive them all and assist in solving social problems of Vologda citizens.

The fate of 6-year-old Stepan compels attention of wide audience. In the early morning, an initiative group of Vologda citizens arrived to the Chairman of the Investigative Committee reception to draw attention to violations that had led to the tragedy, and the need to give them a legal assessment. Alexander Bastrykin thanked the public members for their active social attitude and instructed the Vologda Regional Investigations Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia to use their capabilities in the investigative work and public council activities.

The Chairman of the Investigative Committee heard separately on the progress and results of the investigation of the child abuse of Stepan in his foster family, and inaction of the guardianship agencies.

Representatives of a virtually township-forming enterprise in Sheksna District of Vologda Region – a poultry farm – came to Alexander Bastrykin’s reception to express their concern about the fate of hundreds of their colleagues. All of them had not been paid wages for over three months. The debt to almost five hundred workers exceeded 20 million rubles, and they were under pressure to leave the enterprise. Despite the fact that, at the moment, the debt to employees was almost completely repaid, the Chairman instructed the Central Office investigators to inspect the activities of the organization management related to disbursing public funds for possible fraud.

A significant part of the addresses was focused on probes related to inadequate medical care. Alexander Bastrykin agreed with their arguments and satisfied their reasonable requests. A woman form Murmansk addressed a complaint about an inadequate investigation of a probe into the death of her underage disabled son in a social institution for children. The mother of the deceased child wanted not only justice for the guilty, but also to protect other children of the social institution from them. During the reception, the woman complained about the actions of specific employees of the Murmansk Regional Office of the Investigative Committee of Russia, who had refused to open a probe into the teacher and other employees of the centre - also guilty of the death of her son, she believed.

A woman from Vologda had lost her 2-year-old daughter who had been failed to hospitalise in time by the emergency medical service. She addressed the Chairman asking to take under his control the probe and bring to justice the medical workers guilty of the death of her little daughter.

A woman from Cherepovets addressed the Chairman with a petition to stimulate the indictment of a doctor whom she believed guilty of the death of her newborn son. She told that the probe had not been launched immediately, and the preliminary investigation had been prolonged repeatedly for 10 months already. The woman expressed her doubts in the fact that the probe was impartial and efficient.

A woman from Chagoda Dictrict presented a complaint for investigators’ poor performance in assessing the circumstances of her husband’s death and for their refusal to launch a probe. According to her, doctors for the district hospital had denied him a hospitalisation to healthcare facilities of Vologda and Cherepovets, despite a deterioration of his medical condition. That had resulted in his death from cancer. Alexander Bastrykin instructed the Central Office to study the materials at hand and perform an examination in order to define the causes of the man’s death and evaluate the actions of the doctors.

The Chairman also instructed to refer to the Central Office the revision materials on the death of a man born in 1940, who had passed away in a hospital in Vologda. His daughter expressed her lack of trust in conclusions of local experts, on the basis of which investigators had denied launching a probe repeatedly.

A woman from Arkhangelsk Region, whose son together with his girlfriend had died of carbon monoxide poisoning in an apartment almost two years ago, complained on inaction of investigators who had closed the case twice. In order to ensure a comprehensive investigation, the Chairman had to refer that case to the Central Office as well.

A woman from Cherepovets presented a complaint on an inadequate investigation of her son’s death. She told about her disagreement with forensic conclusions and her belief that her son’s death had a criminal nature. The Chairman met the woman’s request to provide experienced investigators and forensic experts from Moscow to the investigation.

A couple from Cherepovets informed the Chairman on extreme red-tapery during the investigation of the death of their son in 2009. They complained about the fact that the crime was not solved yet and that the probe had been suspended five times and referred to different investigators. With reference to that, Alexander Bastrykin demanded to hold an official assessment of all the officers involved in the investigation, immediately.

Following the personal reception of citizens, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee instructed to hold official assessments of almost all the cases; during which 12 officers of Vologda, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and Nenetsk Regional Offices were suspended from their duty. Alexander Bastrykin provided chiefs of several regional offices of the Investigative Committee with specific instructions. The progress on all complaints and petitions addressed was taken under the personal control of the Chairman.