Two of the teenage girls involved in the torture of 10 boys in an orphanage in Russia's Far East have been officially charged four days after video footage of the incident appeared on the internet.
The two girls, aged between 16 and 18, were taken to a detention facility for minors in the Amur region, where they are currently being held.
During interrogation one of the defendants gave detailed testimony and admitted her guilt, but the second girl denies the charges, Interfax reported.
"They are accused on counts of infliction of physical or mental suffering by systematic beatings or other violent acts against two or more persons," the Investigative Committee said Monday.
A third teenager, who also participated in the torture, is under 16-years-old, and is therefore too young to be charged for this crime.
The involvement of a fourth girl, who failed to return to the orphanage after the video went public, is being looked into, but it is believed that she filmed the beatings on her mobile phone.
Russian authorities opened a criminal case on Friday into the beating of the 10 young in an orphanage in the Amur region village of Pionersky, local news agencies reported.
The footage shows the boys lined up against a wall waiting to be beaten with a belt while the elder orphans laugh and swear.
Medical forensic expert examinations found that the tortured children sustained injuries to their legs.
The scandal has highlighted the poor condition of Russia's orphanage system comes comes amid tense public disputes on issues of child welfare and domestic adoptions in the country.
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