On Tuesday, Russian law enforcement officials announced the arrest of an administrator and an 18-year-old resident of a privately operated rehabilitation center located near Moscow, following serious allegations of physical and psychological mistreatment of minors at the facility.
According to the Moscow region’s Investigative Committee, a 16-year-old boy, another resident of the Dedovsk center, was admitted to the hospital unconscious on Sunday, presenting with multiple injuries to his head, torso, and limbs, along with signs suggesting he had been restrained at the wrists and ankles.
The regional prosecutor reported that the teenager is in critical condition and noted that he had a chronic illness that was neglected while he was at the center, as stated by Tatiana Vitusheva, head of the Istrinsky district, which encompasses Dedovsk.
The Dedovsk facility accommodated 24 minors aged between 11 and 17 who were sent there for treatment of substance abuse issues.
Investigators revealed that the center had been operating illegally since August and that the children had been subjected to beatings and torture.
State-run broadcaster Ren TV aired footage showing police officers conducting a raid on the Dedovsk center on Sunday evening. The building was subsequently sealed off, and both employees and residents were ordered to vacate the premises.
Prosecutors indicated that at the time of the raid, 22 minors were present, alleging that they had been isolated with limited access to food and water. Some have since been returned to their families, while others have been placed in a foster care environment.
A court has mandated the pre-trial detention of the administrator of the Dedovsk center on charges including torture, unlawful detention of minors, providing dangerous services, and intentionally causing serious bodily harm.
Vitusheva mentioned that the administrator was the only staff member at the facility. She also noted that investigators are looking into whether the center’s owner, Anna Khobotova, was aware of its illegal activities.
A court decision regarding the 18-year-old accused of participating in the abuse is anticipated on Wednesday.
Ren TV released an interview with the mother of the 18-year-old, Olesya Yefanova, who refuted the accusations against her daughter. She asserted that her daughter, Milana, had been receiving treatment at the center for screen addiction since May 2024 and had been showing progress.
