News

During the investigation into the death of four children in a fire on November 21 in Zarechensky District of Tula (Part 3 of Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Russia, Infliction of death by negligence on two or more persons), the Tula Regional Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened investigations into negligence of a number of functionaries: the staff of one of medical institutions of Zarechensky District of Tula; of Tula guardianship authorities; and of the Department for Aleksinsky District and Novogurovsky settlement of the Tula Regional Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Part 1 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code of Russia).

To remind, 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.

According to the investigation and based on a report by Tula Department of the Tula Regional Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, five children had been adopted by the affected family. The documents required for the adoption had been based upon medical report issued by one of medical institutions of Zarechensky District of Tula, stating that the woman had not had any medical conditions preventing her from becoming a guardian of orphan children or children left without parental care. However, the medical report contained false data, and the children were illegally placed under her guardianship.

Moreover, according to the investigation, in September 2017, the woman had applied to the Tula Department of the Regional Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to recognise her as a guardian of five children. She had submitted a document package including her employment history and a medical report from the same medical institution that had contained data not corresponding with the results of the medical examination. Also, the woman had delivered to the guardianship agency the data on her residential address while not being registered there and having no documents to prove it. The responsible employees had failed to examine the validity of the documents, which enabled the woman to register the guardianship over the adopted children.

At the moment, investigators are conducting the entire set of required investigative activities to establish to the full the circumstances of the accident. The criminal investigation is ongoing.