News

In Nizhny Novgorod criminal investigation in death of boy in swimming pool of sport and health center finished

Nizhny Novgorod Region investigating bodies of the Russia’s investigative Committee have finished investigating a criminal case against deputy sports and mass work director of the Sport and Health Center in the village of Sharanga, Nizhny Novgorod Region, charged with a crime under paragraph “c” of part 2 of article 238 of the RF Penal Code (providing services that do not meet health and life safety standards involving death of a person by negligence) and a 28-year-old teacher of Sharanga school charged with a crime under part 2 of article 109 of the RF Penal Code (reckless homicide due to improper discharge of professional duties).

According to investigators, on 6 June 2014, in the morning, a 7-year-old boy was in the swimming pool of the sports and health center taking a swimming lesson supervised by teachers of the school children’s health camp.

There was also a trainer of the Sports and Health Center, who noticed that one of the boys had drowned. They pulled the child from the pool and tried to administer first medical aid. A short time later paramedics took the boy to Sharanga hospital, where he died on 10 June 2014.

The investigators believe that the tragedy became possible due to improper organization and lack of oversight of the lesson by the staff and officials of the Sports and Health Center and Sharanga school.

The accused did not plead guilty.

During the probe the investigators forwarded 2 requests to eliminate reasons and conditions that contributed to the crime: one to the Nizhny Novgorod Region Government and the other to Sharanga District administration. On the review of the requests 5 officials of the Sports and Health Center and the school were disciplined, including the chief engineer of the Sports and Health Center was sacked and the school headmaster was downgraded.

At present the indictment has been approved and the criminal case sent to court to be tried on the merits.