The Tula Regional Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation continues the investigation into the death of four young children in the fire occurred in Zarechensky district of Tula on November 21, 2018, under Part 3 of Article 109 (infliction of death by negligence to two or more persons) of the Criminal Code of Russia.
It was previously reported that, on November 21, 2018, the bodies of four children, two of whom had been adopted, were found following the extinguishing of the fire in the residential building on Garnizonny Proezd Street of Tula.
Now, it has been established that the victim had two own daughters and five adopted children. The inspection of the scene showed that the bodies of the woman’s two own 3-year-old daughters and of her adopted children - the 6-year-old son and the daughter in the age of 1 year and 10 months had been found after the fire was extinguished. It is also known that three adopted children of the victim are currently safe in children’s social institutions.
During the investigation of reasons and conditions of the children’s death, investigators consider that actions (inaction) of functionaries of guardianship agencies of Tula Region, as well as of the relevant regional departments and ministries, in charge of supervision of guardianship validity, may have included signs of an offence under Part 1 of Article 293 (neglect of duty) of the Criminal Code of Russia. A legal assessment is to be provided of the following functionaries of guardianship agencies of Tula Region on every level: Guardianship Department of Zarechensky district of Tula; Guardianship Bureau of Social Policy Department of Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Tula Region; and Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Tula Region.
Investigators have already received the documents that had granted the guardianship over the adopted children to the woman in order to review their validity; also, duty regulations for individuals in charge of the supervision of guardians (here - the woman) were obtained.
Investigators questioned the functionaries of the Guardianship Department of Zarechensky district of Tula and the functionaries of specialised children’s institutions where the three adopted children of the victim are staying at the time.
Also, they questioned ambulance paramedics that had arrived to the scene and doctors of the medical institution where the victim is staying now. Medical workers caring for the victim’s children were identified and questioned too.
Investigators have arranged and are carrying out forensic examinations for each of the deceased children and for the injured woman in order to establish causes of death and severity of the injury respectively. In addition, investigators have arranged and are carrying out a forensic fire examination, the main goal of which is to establish the cause of the fire.
An instruction has been sent to internal affairs agencies to perform a search for the woman’s husband.
The investigation is to not only by all means establish the reasons of the accident led to the tragedy that took away the children’s lives, but also to consider the validity of the adoption and to provide an integrated assessment of the actions of all the persons in direct charge of supervision of the adopted children’s conditions of living and well-being.
PDF version 
DOC version
