Two teenagers were detained Wednesday on suspicion of desecrating 87 grave sites at a cemetery in the Omsk region of southwestern Siberia.
A criminal case has been opened against a 16-year-old for "desecrating the bodies of the dead and places of their burial." A guilty verdict could put the teenager in prison for up to five years.
The teenager's 14-year-old accomplice is under the age of criminal culpability and will not be charged, RIA Novosti reported.
Police precincts across Russia have reported several similar incidents this year, often the result of children's games gone gruesomely awry.
Four children accused of defacing the graves of soldiers in May offered an unusual explanation, saying that they had acted "under the influence of the television series Zakrytaya Shkola (Boarding School)," the Penza region police department said.
A pair of pre-teens in the Krasnoyarsk region acted under another kind of influence that same month. The regional police head said that after stealing the vodka that relatives traditionally place on the graves of the deceased, the children got drunk and proceeded to damage 18 graves.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
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 every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
