A woman whose 9-year-old son was killed by a pack of wild dogs in Russia's eastern Zabaikalsky region has been awarded 2 million rubles ($37,000) in damages as federal investigators sound the alarm over vicious dog attacks across Russia.
A regional district court ordered Chita's city administration and the Zabaikalsky regional government to each pay the mother 1 million rubles, regional prosecutors said in a statement Wednesday.
The discovery of the boy's body on March 13 was the latest episode in a series of recent attacks by stray dogs in the region, prompting the regional branch of the Investigative Committee to launch a criminal case against Chita official Andrei Galimordanov.
Following the probe, Galimordanov, who was responsible for housing, utilities and communal services in the city, was charged with negligent homicide in late May. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.
Investigators allege that Galimordanov failed consistently from April 2014 to organize dog-catching services, resulting in a spike in the number of wild dogs stalking the streets of Chita. They said in a statement that 18 incidents of dog attacks had been recorded in Chita in recent months, including 10 in which children were targeted.
Meanwhile, stray dogs are not the only cause for concern. Federal investigators reacted Monday to a slew of attacks by pet dogs during the last week that have killed or wounded children across Russia.
“All measures will be taken against dog owners who fail to ensure the safety of children,” the committee said in a statement.
A 5-year-old Kostroma region girl was mauled to death Sunday while visiting family friends with her parents, according to the statement. A negligent homicide case has been launched against the dog's owner, who has been detained.
In the Irkutsk region, a 10-year-old boy was injured by a Rottweiler that attacked him in a playground last Thursday. Investigators said that the Rottweiler's owner was drunk at the time, and that he was walking the dog without a leash or muzzle. A case has been opened against the owner on a charge of intentional infliction of bodily harm.
That same day, a Saratov toddler was hospitalized following an attack by two Rottweilers. The child's father told investigators that the attack happened at home, and that the two dogs belonged to relatives of the family. Investigators are currently looking into the circumstances of the case.
Contact the author at i.burke@imedia.ru