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14-Year-Old Girls to Be Charged in Beating of Friend

A criminal case has been reopened against two 14-year-old girls suspected in a violent attack on a classmate in Kaliningrad, regional prosecutor Alexei Samsonov said Monday, Interfax reported.

The case gained media attention after a video was posted online of the attack by the girls on 15-year-old classmate Yelena Sukhorukova outside the Kaliningrad region town of Gusyev. In the video, the assailants are seen grabbing Sukhorukova by the hair and repeatedly kicking her.

The girls responsible for the attack were detained by police Friday on suspicion of attempted murder, a charge that can be brought against anyone aged 14 or older. But the Gusyev prosecutor dropped the charges a few hours later, citing violations made by investigators.

After the case was closed, children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov asked Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev, Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin and Kaliningrad Governor Nikolai Tsukanov to address the situation.

Samsonov said Monday that the case has been reopened, with a charge of attempted murder by a group.

Tsukanov's office has released a statement saying the offenders confessed to the attack on Friday and said they regretted their actions.

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