The first week of study for the Perm fourth-grader Nikita (name changed as required by the legislation - Ed.) Will be remembered for a long time. Firstly, the hands still hurt after they were burned with cigarette butts, and secondly, for many years there will be scars to remind of this case, and thirdly, to communicate so closely with adults: teachers and law enforcement officers have never before had to.
The AiF-Prikamye correspondent understood the details of the high-profile story that took place in one of the Perm schools.
In the shadow of the Duck Swamp
On September 1, a newcomer appeared in the fourth grade in one of the schools in Zakamsk. Last year, he did not cope with the program, and the teachers left him for the second year. Moreover, an eleven-year-old guy not only has a serious limp in his studies, but also his behavior.
At eight years old, the repeater was registered with the police. He was caught stealing and drinking alcohol more than once, and smoking is the most harmless thing that adults caught him on. The family where the student is brought up is in a socially dangerous situation and is also registered. The fate of a difficult child was once decided by the court, but the judge decided that it was too early to isolate him from society and send him to a special institution.
Once in a new class, the repeater began to look for a company for himself. He liked two quiet classmates. Guys from ordinary families, studied poorly. With one bully he quickly became friends. Together they began to mock the third.
“If you want to join our company, you need to pass the obligatory test of courage,” the repetitive one explained to Nikita. "As long as I burn my cigarette butts on your hands, you must be silent and endure it."
The execution was scheduled for Thursday 6 September. We chose a secluded place: the natural complex "Duck Swamp" in Zakamsk. There is a small forest around a small lake where ducks swim. From school to Duck Swamp - a few minutes walk. If the subject cannot stand it and screams, no one in the forest will definitely hear it. The Courage Test was conducted after school. On the inside of both hands, where the thinnest and most delicate skin is, Nikita had red marks from three burns.
School? Police? Social network!
The noise after the incident was raised not at all by the parents, but by the aunt of the injured schoolchild. She posted a photo of her nephew's hands on social media and captioned: “My nephew has burns on his arms! I ask him where? He replies: "I passed the" courage test "of high school students!" I also have my own “test of courage”, I ask those who did it to respond and pass my test, I promise you a reward”.
The controversial post began to gain views quickly. Here are the comments left by users: “I've managed to explain to my son that courage and bravery are not to put out a cigarette butt in hand, but to stand up for a weak one”, “You need the police and school”, “And I have the same scar, only we did it ourselves”,“Strange ideas about “courage” among some in modern society”.
Journalists from AiF-Prikamye stumbled upon the story with cigarette butts in social networks. After the news was published, the Perm Department of Education and law enforcement agencies joined the story.
“The persons and circumstances of the incident have been established. The Department of Education took the situation under special control,”the press service of the Perm administration said.
“On the weekend, all the persons involved in this story: the injured child, his aunt and parents, as well as those who mocked the boy, were found and questioned. The material of the check was registered and transferred to the investigative committee,”the police said.
And the Investigative Committee of the Prikamye informed that they would conduct their own check in order to establish all the circumstances of the incident and make a legal decision.
A year ago, a boy was beaten at school
“We talked with the mother of the injured child on the phone and made an appointment,” said the school director Natalya Ivanovna. - It turned out that last year the family had already written a statement to the police that their son had been beaten by someone on the school football field. For some unknown reason, the woman did not go to school. The case ended in nothing. But we have the whole field in cameras, but to find out what happened then is now impossible, the record is kept for only 40 days. We will write an official request to the police and find out why we were not informed then. After the incident with the cigarette butts, we will definitely hold talks at parent meetings. Psychologists will work with children - participants of this story”.
All three fourth-graders were at school on Friday and Monday. On September 7, the students had a tourist rally, and on the 10th - the usual lessons. Now that adults have learned about this story with cigarette butts, all three are now trying to stay away from each other.
“It’s not easy for today's children to learn to defend their boundaries,” says Perm psychologist Saryana Ponomareva. - Previously, they comprehended this experience when they all ran around the yard together. Now many have gone to social networks. At school, they also do not have the opportunity to learn to defend themselves: not only in class, but also during recess, much is prohibited: you cannot run, you cannot shout. Communication with parents does not teach this either. Often, mom and dad require unconditional obedience from the child, rather than expressing their own opinion. How, then, can a child learn to argue and defend their opinions? Adults need to hear children and let them be right. You need to let them buy, for example, the jacket they like. Or not to buy a thing that you like, but your child does not like at all."
Too small to answer
What threatens a schoolboy who has arranged a test for his friend? The ICR of Prikamye reported that a pre-investigation check under Art. 117 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Torture). However, the age of criminal responsibility in Russia is only 16 years old.
Will the boy's parents be punished? This will become clear only after the verification has been carried out.
