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In Leningrad Region, a probe into negligence of authorities launched in terms of investigation of a fact of rendering unsafe services in Mechta summer recreation camp

The Leningrad Regional Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia continues investigation of a probe under Paragraph A of Part 2 of Article 238 of the Criminal Code of Russia (rendering of services that do not meet safety requirements, committed by a group of persons under preliminary conspiracy).

A mother of one of the children vacationing in the Mechta recreation camp, located in the Priozersk district of the Leningrad region, complained about the unacceptable behavior of a number of camp inmates. Investigators arrived to the recreation facility in the shortest time possible in order to establish all circumstances of violation of rights of the children residing at the camp at that time. The head of the Leningrad Regional Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia immediately held a video conference personal reception of citizens that had applied to mass media. As the investigators found out, the camp lacked adequate educational work and qualified specialists and teachers, therefore adequate leisure and control had not been organized and a number of minor vacationers being on preventive records in the internal affairs bodies systematically committed acts of unlawful behavior towards other children.

Information on taking measures provided for by law in relation to legal representatives and minors who committed unlawful acts against other children in the camp was sent to the Prosecutor of the Leningrad Region.

In terms of investigation of the probe, the scene of the incident was examined, the searches were carried out in office premises of Mechta LLC in the city of St. Petersburg, in the administration of the Moskovsky District of St. Petersburg and in the General and Professional Education Committee of the Leningrad Region, documents on the inclusion of this camp in the register of recreation and health organizations for children, including agreements on the provision of health-improving recreation services, concluded between the parents and the general director of Mechta LLC were seized, officials were questioned. After the intervention of the investigative department, the children were taken out of the camp and handed over to their parents.

The Director General of Mechta LLC was detained under Article 91 of the Criminal Procedural Code of Russia. The investigator motioned the court to subject him to house detention, but the judge of the Priozersky City Court of the Leningrad Region Lyudmila Yashina rejected the motion. The Director General's lawyer filed a complaint with the court to declare illegal the decision to initiate the criminal case. However, the court presented enough evidence for the court to reject the complaint.

It must be noted that the Leningrad Regional Department of Rospotrebnadzor carried out an on site inspection of the Mechta camp in terms of the investigation, which revealed numerous grave violations of sanitary legislation posing real threat to life and health of the children, including the lack of medical records and testing for coronavirus infection for the staff. According to this the Rospotrebnadzor bodies, upon the court's ruling, suspended the operation of the Mechta camp for 90 days. However, the court of second instance overturned the decision to close the camp on June 28, 2021. The investigation filed an appeal to the prosecutor against the court decisions to cancel the suspension of the camp's activities.

At the same time, two probes were initiated under Part 1 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code of Russia (negligence) upon the fact of inadequate control over quality and safety of serviced rendered by Mechta camp on behalf of authorities of Rospotrebnadzor department over the Leningrad Region and administration of Moskovsky District of St. Petersburg that carried out the inspection of the camp before its opening and failed to control readiness of the children's facility to full rest and health improvement of children and allowed the functioning of a health camp improperly rendering services to minors.

The Governor of the Leningrad Region was informed about the violations revealed and the exclusion of the Mechta children's health camp from the register of camps in the Leningrad Region.

In terms of the probe measures are taken to establish all circumstances, as well as reasons and conditions that facilitated the commission of the crimes.