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Criminal investigation launched in attack of dogs at small girl in Sverdlovsk Region

Sverdlovsk Region investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee have initiated a seizure from the police the criminal files on the attack of two dogs at an 8-year-old girl in the village of Bobrovsky. Investigators have launched a criminal case over a crime under part 1 of article 111 of the RF Criminal Code (intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm).

It has been found that the girl was coming back home from her grandmother in the village of Bobrovsky, Sysert district. On the outskirts of the village she was attacked by two sheep dogs, they knocked her down, dragged into the forest and started biting. Two men heard the scream. They managed to drive away the dogs by sticks and shouting. The girl suffered numerous wounds – she has bites on her head, limbs and stomach. She is in the hospital at the moment. According to the witnesses the two dogs belonged to a local man who shot them dead the same day.

During this criminal investigation the specialists are going to give legal assessment to the actions of the owner of the dangerous dogs, who couldn’t isolate them from people which caused serious injuries to the child. The investigation is under control of senior officials of the Russia’s Investigative Committee.

It should be noted that it is not the first time when big aggressive dogs attack people and mostly children. The Russia’s Investigative Committee is deeply concerned by the fact that such incidents are regular in different regions of the country as the attacks of the dogs inflicting bad injuries are most often fatal for children. On 28 February 2013, in the village of Yessey, Evenkiysky district, Krasnodar territory a pack of stray dogs attacked a 10-year-old boy, who was coming back home alone in the evening. The boy died of wounds and bites. It is known that earlier local people had repeatedly appealed to municipal authorities requesting to take measures and catch aggressive stray dogs. On 8 March, in Arkhangelsk, stray dogs attacked a 7-year-old boy. The boy died of the wounds on the way to the hospital. On 26 March, in the village of Sadovy of Blagoveshchensk, Amur Region, in the territory of agricultural production cooperative Astrakhanovskiy, a dog guarding the premises bit a 3-year-old boy in neck killing him on the spot. The investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee have launched criminal investigations in all these cases over signs of a crime under part 1 of article 109 of the RF Criminal Code (manslaughter).

To prevent such tragedies the Investigative Committee addresses the municipal authorities responsible for maintenance of territories in settlements and provision of security of people demanding to sort out the situation. Besides, the problem of keeping domestic and stray animals requires clearer legal regulation.