In Dnipro, systematic torture of six children aged 3 to 10 years in a family-type orphanage has been stopped. According to SpecprokuraturaZahidRegion, the foster parents had been using physical and psychological violence for years: beatings, humiliation, isolation, and forced labor. The children were left without food, forced to walk on stones until they bled, and sleep on a wooden bench without bedding. For ‘disobedience’ – they were shaved bald.
This came to light after the oldest child, upon entering an educational institution, dared to tell the truth. The children were interviewed using the ‘green room’ method to avoid re-traumatization. They are now in safe conditions. The family-type orphanage has been disbanded.
Juvenile prosecutors of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office have charged two foster parents with torture committed by a group of persons (part 1 of article 28, part 1 of article 127 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The court has chosen preventive measures. A separate legal assessment will be given to the actions of the officials of the children’s services, who did not detect violations during inspections.
Since the beginning of the year, 122 individuals have been notified of suspicion in relevant proceedings, 74 of them are employees of social services, rehabilitation centers, and educational institutions. More than 250 children have been removed from dangerous environments.