The Trans-Baikal Territory investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee have revealed additional facts of brutal treatment of children and opened 8 investigations into crimes committed against three small inmates.
I remind that the Investigative Committee is investigating a criminal case against 57-year-old teacher of V.N. Podgorbunsky Chita Aid Center for Neglected Children of Trans-Baikal Territory Yelena Smolina. She is charged with 10 counts of crimes against three small children. Today 6 more cases were opened against Smolina, three of them on charges of abuse of power using force (paragraph “a” of part 3 of article 286 of the RF Penal Code) and three on charges of illegal deprivation of freedom of a minor (paragraph “e” of part 2 of article 127).
According to investigators, Smolina took a position of director of the children’s health camp Molokovka and during her office she tied children up to a pole for a long time, did not give them food or water, poured them over or dipped them in water for a punishment. Investigators know of three boys aged 6, 9 and 11 years who suffered from her actions. Considering newly-revealed crimes, the investigators are going to ask a court once more to remand the woman in custody pending trial.
In addition, investigators have opened an investigation against Baira Budayeva, another teacher at the same facility. Her actions were classified under article 156 of the RF Penal Code (failure to do the duty of raising a child). As there is no information about her whereabouts, the woman is now wanted. There is also investigation against Irina Greshilova who was acting director of the same facility during summer. She is suspected of malfeasance, failure to take active measures to protect minors against criminal actions of her subordinates entailing violation of legal rights and interests of the center’s inmates (part 1 of article 293 of the RF Penal Code - negligence). The investigators have papers ready to suspend Greshilova from office.
It should be noted that the Trans-Baikal Territory investigating bodies have also opened investigation against two police officers of Chita office of the Russian Ministry of the Interior Dmitry Budnikov and Vladimir Sarin. They are suspected of a crime under part 1 of article 286 of the RF Penal Code (abused of power).
According to investigators, on 4 October 2015, the suspects abused their power when they illegally held a 15-year-old inmate of the orphanage for several hours in the police station. It has been revealed, that Budnikov, who is an operative, failed to notify the girl’s legal representatives about the fact that she was delivered to a police station, did not passed the teenager to a juvenile department, but locked her up in a metallic cage and held there for a few hours. Sarin, who is the senior operative at the same police station, aware that his subordinate was breaking the law, still did not prevent Budnikov’s actions. Besides, no one of the police officers made documents that a teenage girl had been delivered to and held in the police station. Both of the police officers were held today on suspicion of the crime, custodial restraint is expected.
At present, a commission of the Investigative Committee Central Office is working in Trans-Baikal Territory. It is supervising the progress of investigation on site. There is no doubt that a principled legal assessment will be given to actions (omission) of officials of the Ministry of Social Protection in the region who were in charge of controlling orphanages and social institutions. In the first place, investigators have questions to former children’s ombudsman in Trans-Baikal Territory Vladimir Zhadapov, who had information on lawlessness in the orphanage, however, he concealed it and investigators are going to learn why.
Head of Media Relations V.I. Markin
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