In the Khanty-Mansi autonomous district, the regional branch of Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a review after a video surfaced showing a 14-year-old boy riding a scooter on the Military Glory memorial grounds and smoking next to the monument.
According to the agency, investigators are checking whether the incident contains elements of a criminal offense under the article on damage to military memorials. The footage had previously spread through local media outlets.
In the published video, the shirtless schoolboy is seen moving through the memorial area on a scooter. He also separately posted photographs of himself sitting by the monument and smoking.
Later, the Yugra branch of the Investigative Committee said the video had drawn the attention of the agency’s chairman, Alexander Bastrykin. He instructed regional chief Mikhail Mokshin to submit a report on the progress of the inquiry to the central office.
The criminal article on desecrating monuments and memorial structures provides for a penalty of up to three years in prison. However, criminal liability under that provision begins only at the age of 16.
Because of that, the report says, the 14-year-old may instead be placed under preventive supervision and, by court order, sent to a closed educational institution for troubled teenagers.