What happened
At the end of November, law enforcement agencies uncovered a rehabilitation center in the Moscow region where violence against children was occurring.
The institution was created to help children with addictions; however, instead, patients were systematically subjected to physical violence, starvation, and humiliation.
The scandal erupted after one of the teenagers was hospitalized in critical condition. The boy spent two weeks on the floor before being taken to the hospital. He is currently on a ventilator and suffers from sepsis; his mother was not allowed to see him, being told of his "bad behavior" and sent staged photographs.
Caution, photo:
Spoiler
CollapseAnother rehabilitation center was found near Dmitrov, where a similar scheme was used.
What this rehabilitation center is like
This center was established in a private house in Dedovsk in August of this year. The organizers claimed that psychologists would help children cope with addictions, aggressive behavior, and other problems. Among the services offered were treatment for substance abuse, gambling addiction, and adolescent alcoholism.However, according to law enforcement, in reality, the residents were subjected to physical and psychological torture.
As punishment, they were made to sleep on the bare floor, do squats for several hours, endure beatings, be tied up, and experience other forms of violence: they were submerged in buckets of water, starved, and forbidden to get out of bed (they could only get up for a few minutes to use the toilet)...
According to the Mash channel, two girls were forced into sexual acts.
Who is behind the organization of the rehabilitation center
The head of this center is Anna Kobotova, who owns a network of institutions for troubled teenagers, including "Chance" and "Bright Future," as well as a rehabilitation center named after her. These facilities operate in Moscow, the Moscow region, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, and Azov. The legal owner is listed as the Public Benefit Fund "Galaktika."
Anna Kobotova.
Anna Kobotova is known as an activist in the Rostov region. In 2012, she was invited to the public councils of regional departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Penitentiary Service, where she worked on issues related to teenagers. She graduated from the Russian Academy of Justice in 2012, becoming a specialist in justice, and in 2015 received a diploma as a psychologist-psychotherapist from the Southern Federal University.
What is happening with the employees of the rehabilitation center?
Anna Kobotova has been declared wanted. The woman is being sought in the Moscow region on criminal charges. Other details are not disclosed.Charges have also been brought against the center's administrator and an 18-year-old girl who participated in the beating and torture of teenagers.
What is the situation with the teenagers?
According to the investigation, at the time of the raid, there were 24 teenagers aged 10 to 18 in the center. Eight of them were sent to social institutions, while the others returned to their parents.No information is provided about the identities of the teenagers. However, in an interview with 72.ru, one former resident mentioned that there was a boy from Kyrgyzstan among them. According to him, it was particularly difficult for him as his parents were abroad. There is no official information about the duration of this teenager's stay in the center.
Why did parents allow such treatment of their children?
Some parents were indeed unaware of what was happening to their children. All the teenagers there had addictions, and parents were looking for ways to help. The cost of staying in the center ranged from 100,000 to 150,000 rubles per month, and the facility's advertising was accompanied by beautiful photographs and convincing stories about helping children from specialists.Experts noted that some parents were aware of the harsh "re-education" methods but believed that serious addictions could only be overcome through such measures.
Can such methods help children?
No, specialists assert. They emphasize that such "treatment methods" cause irreparable harm to the psyche of adolescents with addictions.What will happen next?
An investigation is currently underway. A criminal case has been initiated on several charges, including "Intentional infliction of serious harm to health, committed by a group of individuals," "Torture," and "Unlawful deprivation of liberty." Anna Kobotova is wanted. Additionally, changes to legislation are planned in Russia: State Duma deputies want to introduce criminal liability for the illegal activities of rehabilitation centers. The country lacks a separate profession for addiction specialists (addictologists) and clear requirements for the qualifications of employees in non-medical rehabilitation institutions. According to parliamentarians, this creates a large shadow market for non-medical rehabilitation services that is not controlled by the state.
