Reports of child cruelty are increasingly in the news, with cases of bullying, mass beatings and assaults among teenagers on the rise across the country. Psychologists explain this behavior by dangerous age, family upbringing and erased boundaries of what is permitted.
In Nizhny Tagil on February 3, 10 teenagers, mostly boys, beat a girl from their school. They kicked her and hit her in the face; this was filmed by a resident of one of the neighboring houses. At first, the woman simply filmed the beating on her phone, and then from the window she threatened the teenagers with the police. After the recording spread on social networks, law enforcement officers became interested in this video.
The next day it turned out that the victim was a 13-year-old seventh-grade student at a local school, and her offenders were 12-15-year-old boys from the same educational institution. Moreover, one of the teenagers was already registered with the juvenile affairs department. The injured girl, according to some sources, lives with her grandmother, and her mother has been deprived of parental rights. The schoolgirl did not tell anyone about the fight.
What to do, where to go if a minor is beaten?
The course of action to protect an injured child depends on the person who hits the child. Physical harm to the health of a minor can be caused by peers, teachers in kindergarten or school, or other adults.
If the child’s offender is his peer, the most effective way to resolve the issue is an educational conversation with the participation of the victim, the aggressor, their parents and a teacher or psychologist. If the person who committed the beating studies at another school, you can contact the juvenile affairs commission directly.
If the assault is severe and you are concerned about what happened, you can go to the police station. You will be denied a criminal case if the offender is under 16 years of age. But your appeal will be sent to the commission on juvenile affairs, and the aggressor child will be registered as disadvantaged. He and the adults - his family are guaranteed further close attention from social care services. Monetary and psychological harm caused can be recovered from the parents of a juvenile offender.
Judicial practice demonstrates that situations often occur when children are beaten in kindergarten, school and other educational institutions. There are three ways to punish the culprit:
- conduct an educational conversation;
- contact the police;
- demand the dismissal of the guilty teacher (educator).
If you decide to fire the offender, contact the head of the educational institution or your local education department. Remember: even a single incident of beating or abuse is considered sufficient grounds for removal from working with children.
When a child is beaten by his father or stepfather, the situation in most cases unfolds in front of the mother's eyes. The first thing to do is to protect the minor from the aggressor. It can be hidden with neighbors, in another room, etc. At the same time, you need to call the police, who will pacify the tyrant.
If a child is injured, you need to call an ambulance to provide first aid. The doctor will issue a certificate of beatings, on the basis of which a forensic medical examination will subsequently be carried out.
Beating minors is punishable more severely than causing bodily harm to citizens over 18 years of age. Additionally, the authorized bodies based on the fact of the incident can decide on the aggressive father’s parental rights. He will not be able to see the child, and in his old age he will not be able to claim financial support from him.
Dangerous age
Unfortunately, such cases are not decreasing. Child psychologist Irina Taranova explained to 360 that adolescence is the most dangerous age because children begin to test different forms of behavior.
“There can be many reasons for aggression, starting with the fact that it can be personal aggression in a teenager who has no way out. There may also be problems with norms, rules, and the system of what is permitted. Now teenagers are given more freedom [than 15-20 years ago], but they are not yet ready for such responsibility,” Taranova added.
But Anna Portnova, a freelance child psychiatrist at the Department of Health, is confident that, in fact, cruelty can manifest itself at any age, even at a very early age. In 2022, for example, in a Yaroslavl kindergarten, pupils tortured a four-year-old baby. They knocked the girl to the ground, stepped on her back and did not allow her to get up. When the teacher noticed what was happening, the children immediately ran away.
“It only takes one leader in a group with such an aggressive tendency and several subordinates for this situation to arise,” explained Portnova.
Procedure for contacting the police
The procedure for bringing the perpetrator to justice depends on the type of offense. Battery and causing minor harm are crimes of private prosecution. To punish the aggressor, the victim or his legal representative must submit an application to the internal affairs authorities.
Torture and causing grievous bodily harm are crimes of public prosecution. To initiate a criminal case, it is not necessary to have a statement. Another reason is sufficient: an appeal from the guardianship and trusteeship authorities, identification by the district police of signs of violations, etc.
In case of beating of a minor, you can go to the police station or to court. The first way is optimal if the name of the person who caused bodily harm to the child is unknown. The document submitted to the internal affairs authorities must contain a detailed description of the situation, passport data and the applicant’s registered address.
A claim for battery filed in court must contain the following:
name of the judicial authority; passport details of the victim and suspect; description of what happened in detail; Full name of witnesses; request to accept materials for production; date, signature.
Upon receipt of the application, the police conduct a preliminary check. After 10 days, they are obliged to initiate a criminal case or give a justified refusal. You can file a complaint against the latter with the Prosecutor's Office. The statute of limitations for battery causing minor harm is two years.
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Dmitry Leonov
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A pensioner beaten by teenagers: “I don’t need any help!”
In Voronezh, 69-year-old Vladimir Inozemtsev lives in one of the houses on Moiseev Street in a one-room apartment. He had long ago turned his home into a den for alcoholics. The apartment is dirty and empty, the furniture consists of a broken wardrobe, a collapsed sofa with bare springs, and an old table in the corner. There is a mountain of unwashed dishes in the kitchen, and instead of a refrigerator there is a cabinet.
Vladimir Inozemtsev is the same “homeless man” who is mercilessly kicked by two teenagers in the video. The man’s neighbors say that over the past six months, groups of teenagers have been visiting him frequently. According to them, in Inozemtsev’s apartment, young people are having fun as best they can - drinking, smoking weed and causing brawls.
“The police know what’s going on here.” “We complained so many times, but it was of no use,” complained the pensioner’s neighbor. “It’s no longer possible to enter our entrance.” Instead of studying, teenagers go to this apartment, party there, and then defecate on the staircase. And last week a girl was raped there; her mother rescued her from there. She spent half the night banging on the door to get it opened. We managed to get inside when the police arrived. Then they went and interviewed all the neighbors.
“I’ll buy bread, sausages and that’s it – I’m not hungry.”
When the correspondents of “MY!” We arrived at the place, Vladimir Inozemtsev was at home, but not alone. The apartment was not locked - in fact, there is no lock on the front door; it can only be locked from the inside with a latch. There were five guests - four teenagers and a girl. They sat on the floor and talked, and the owner of the apartment, dressed in a shabby jacket, dozed on the nightstand.
The teenagers immediately said: they were volunteers, they learned that their grandfather had been beaten and decided to help - they brought him things and food. One of the guests introduced himself as Maxim. He said that he saw a video on the Internet, recognized the teenagers in the recording and received information from them where Vladimir lived.
– I felt sorry for my grandfather. You can’t treat people like that, and his neighbors apparently don’t care about him,” says Maxim. “We organized a collection of help among our friends, and in two days we collected 5 thousand rubles. We used them to buy food for him. We still need to put everything in order here, wash the floors, put up wallpaper. It is impossible to live in such conditions.
There were indeed food items in the kitchen cupboard. The owner himself had difficulty understanding who was in his apartment and why there was such close attention to him. Vladimir said: he doesn’t need any help. And he denied that anyone beat him.
There is something like a sofa in the room, even two. But the owner spends time on the bedside table in the hallway so as not to disturb the guests
Photo by Alexander ZINCHENKO
“The district police officer has already come to me five times,” says the man. – What do you all want from me? Am I a thief or some kind of bandit?
– The teenagers beat you up badly, how do you feel? – asked the correspondents of “Yo!”.
- Nobody beat me, what nonsense! – the pensioner answered in a cold voice.
– Do you need any help?
- I don’t need any help! “I have money,” he pulled out several hundred-dollar bills from his bosom. – I’ll buy bread, sausages and that’s it – I’m not hungry.
– Neighbors say that teenagers visit you every day. Why are you letting them in?
“I let him in out of boredom,” the man admitted. “I live alone, but at least they have somewhere to talk.” I don’t feel sorry – let them rest.
Vladimir was taciturn. He said that he worked all his life as a mechanic in factories, was not married, and had no children either. The owner of the apartment in which he lives is his brother. He is three years older and is in a nursing home.
District police officer Lyokha
While we were talking with the owner, more than 40 teenagers arrived at the apartment. They are from different schools in the city, some study at a technical school. They are between 13 and 17 years old. They said that they were brought here for a good purpose - to help a beaten pensioner. And before going into the apartment, we decided to smoke a cigarette.
– How old are you guys? Isn’t it too early to smoke?
“What difference does it make, everyone smokes now,” they answered.
– What is your help? – we asked.
“The food has been brought, we can wash the floors,” they smiled.
Photo by Alexander ZINCHENKO
- Why are you standing? Maybe you can wash it right now? - we asked a question.
After such a proposal, several girls immediately said that they would come “to grandpa another time.”
- Sure, not a problem! “Now we’ll bring some water,” they finally decided.
About ten minutes later, the teenagers brought a basin, rags from the store and even bought an electric kettle.
“No need, guys, I’ll do it myself,” said the owner when the guests began to wash the floors.
- No, grandpa, sit and rest. Here's a cigarette for you. Maybe a sandwich? Do you want to eat? – they bombarded him with questions.
Vladimir shook his head negatively.
This whole “with the help of grandpa” scene looked very forced. Apparently this was not the first time the teenagers had come there. Neighbors, by the way, say: these are guys from the same company as those who beat the pensioner.
-You don't believe us? We'll have it repaired before summer, look! - they assured.
– Do the apartment owners agree to the renovation? What if they call the police? – we asked a provocative question.
“The local police officer was here, he knows everything.” Do you want me to call him? Lyokha,” Maxim said into the phone. - Well, they don’t believe us, tell me, you were already there in the morning, asking for an explanation?
– Who doesn’t believe? – was heard in the speaker.
- Journalists.
“I won’t talk to them; let them contact the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.”
Correspondents of “MY!” contacted the press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Voronezh region. When we receive the department’s response, we will publish it immediately.
We left Vladimir when the guys had already finished cleaning his apartment. They said that “they won’t be at the address in an hour.”
We also contacted the regional prosecutor's office. The supervisory authority said they would conduct an inspection.
Term for beating minors
Let's consider what sentence is given for beating minors. If the act is qualified under Article 116, which establishes liability for battery, the offender faces one of the following sanctions:
- compulsory work up to 360 hours;
- correctional labor for up to 1 year;
- restriction of freedom up to 2 years;
- forced labor for up to 2 years;
- arrest for up to six months;
- imprisonment up to 2 years.
This article punishes crimes in which the victims were hurt but not physically injured.
What happens to beating a minor depends on the consequences of the crime. If minor harm to health was caused, the punishment will be imposed under Article 115 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Let's consider how much they give for beating minors in the event of a short-term health disorder. The court may choose one of the following sanctions:
- fine up to 40 thousand rubles;
- compulsory work up to 480 hours;
- correctional labor for up to 1 year;
- arrest up to 4 months.
If, when beating a minor, he was slightly injured, and the criminals were guided by hooligan motives, motives of hatred towards any group, or used weapons, they are threatened with:
- compulsory work up to 360 hours;
- correctional labor for up to 1 year;
- suspended sentence up to 2 years;
- arrest for up to six months;
- imprisonment for up to 2 years.
Let us note that the severity of the crime is determined according to the criteria established in Government Resolution No. 522 of August 17, 2007. If the health disorder was long-term, this is harm of moderate severity, if short-term - mild. If the victim has lost an organ, become disabled, or become addicted to drugs, the harm is considered grave.
The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation does not contain a separate article for beating a minor child by a parent, but this factor is considered an aggravating factor. A complete list of such circumstances is given in Article 63 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The court may impose a punishment at the upper limit if the beating of minors was carried out by parents, guardians, teachers, employees of educational, medical, and social organizations.
Note!
If parents or other persons systematically beat a child, the act will be classified as torture. Responsibility for this type of crime is established in Article 117 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Torture means the infliction of suffering (including moral), pain through beatings or the use of force in any other way. A term of 3 to 7 years may be imposed.
It is also worth touching on the issue of what a criminal who is under 18 years of age faces for beating a minor child. Responsibility under Article 116 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation begins at the age of 16. Teenagers who attack a peer or younger child may be given one of the types of punishment listed above or forced educational measures.
