Prosecutors in Siberia have charged a municipal official with negligent homicide after a pack of dogs killed a small boy allegedly as a result of the bureaucrat's failure to control his city's stray animal population.
The head of the utilities department in the municipal administration of Chita, Andrei Galimordanov, is held responsible for a series of stray dog attacks, some of them injuring children, and for the death of a young boy this spring, the regional prosecutor's office said in a statement Wednesday.
"Galimordanov has neglected his official duties to organize proper actions for the catching, transporting and sheltering of stray animals," the statement said. He is accused of "negligence that has lead to a person's death."
Case materials against Galimordanov list 18 dog attacks, 10 of them against children, Interfax reported.
In one of the incidents early this year, a pack of dogs bit a 10-year-old boy before he was rescued by a passerby, the report said.
That was followed by an attack that killed a 9-year-old boy on March 13, the report said.
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.
