Rights defenders comment on incident at Krasnodar children's centre

The forced haircutting on a 9-year-old girl is equated to physical violence, the experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" assert.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 4, in the toilet of the Krasnodar children's centre, a teacher forcibly cut off the hair of a nine-year-old girl living nearby as a punishment for knocking on the door out of a prank. The incident was reported by the girl's mother, who turned to the police.

"Such actions have long been categorically prohibited by all instructions and rules," Boris Altshuler, the head of the NGO for the protection of children's rights "Right of the Child", has commented on this story.

According to his version, the girl's parents can turn to the police; and the educational centre should deal with the teacher.

"The teacher's actions fall under Article 156 of the Russia's Criminal Code (failure to fulfil the obligations of raising a minor). The punishment here can be a fine of up to 100,000 roubles, or corrective labour for up to two years, or imprisonment for up to three years," Vladimir Novitsky, the president of the Russian Branch of the International Human Rights Society, has stated.

At the educational centre, where this story happened, the "Caucasian Knot" was told that what had happened was the result of a multi-day attack on their premises. "This girl, along with the boy, is well-known hooligans in the yard. Starting from June 30, they constantly hammered at the door, interfering with classes. They were asked not to do this, but they were stunned by impunity and permissiveness. At the next raid, they took her by the hand and said that this should not continue. She said defiantly: don't give a damn; and then her hair was cut off," a source from the centre has explained.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 9, 2022 at 04:44 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.