In Dnipro, foster parents are suspected of torturing six children
In Dnipro, law enforcement officers uncovered systematic abuse of six children aged 3 to 10 in a family-type children's home. This was reported in a telegram by Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.
According to the investigation, the foster parents had been physically and psychologically abusing the children for a long time. This included beatings, humiliation, isolation and forced labour. The children were left without food, forced to walk on stones until they bled, and sleep on a wooden bench without bedding. For "disobedience," their heads were shaved.
The abuse came to light after the oldest pupil, who had enrolled in an educational institution, spoke about his experiences.
The children were questioned using the "green room" technique to minimise re-traumatisation. All six are now in safe conditions. The family-type children's home has been disbanded.
Juvenile prosecutors from the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office informed two foster parents that they were suspected of 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 imposed preventive measures on them.
A separate legal assessment will be made of the actions of officials from the child welfare services who did not identify any violations during their inspections.
According to the Prosecutor General, following the order to strengthen control in the field of child protection, the approaches to response have been changed. Since the beginning of the year, 122 persons have been notified of suspicion in relevant criminal proceedings, 74 of whom are employees of social services, rehabilitation centres and educational institutions. More than 250 children have been removed from dangerous environments.
