Support The Moscow Times!

Moscow Nanny Charged With Beheading Child Sent to Psychiatric Prison

Gulchekhra Bobokulova, a nanny suspected of murdering a child in her care, looks on inside a defendants' cage as she attends a court hearing in Moscow, Russia, March 2, 2016. Maxim Shemetov / Reuters

The Moscow nanny arrested for the beheading of a four-year-old girl in her care has been moved to a secure psychiatric hospital, the Interfax news agency reported Wednesday.

Gyulchekhra Bobokulova, 38, was moved to the city's Butyrskaya prison hospital following a psychiatric evaluation, a spokesperson for the Federal Prison Service said, Interfax reported.

Results of the evaluation have not been released due to patient confidentiality.

On Feb. 29, Bobokulova, who had been working as a nanny for a Moscow family, waited until the girl’s parents left, killed the child, set the apartment on fire and fled.

The Uzbek national was detained later that day near the Oktyabrskoye Pole metro station in northwestern Moscow. She was described by eyewitnesses as holding the severed head of the child and shouting, “I am a terrorist.”

Bobokulova confessed to the crime and reportedly told police that she was acting on Allah's orders. She also said she had been prompted to kill the girl by “voices,” the Moskovsky Komsomolets news portal reported at the time.

According to Interfax, Uzbek law enforcement has released information claiming that Bobokulova suffers from schizophrenia and has repeatedly undergone medical treatment.

She was arrested on charges of murdering a minor. The investigation against her is currently being conducted by the head of the Russian Investigative Committee, Interfax reported.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more