In Dedovsk near Moscow, investigators opened a criminal case against the rehabilitation facility Anna Khobotova Center after reports of systematic abuse of teenagers. According to investigators, 24 minors sent there by their parents for addiction treatment may have been beaten, tortured, and held against their will.
On November 23, a 16-year-old resident was taken to intensive care unconscious. He was found to have multiple injuries to his head, torso, and limbs, as well as marks on his wrists and feet consistent with being tied up. His mother, Svetlana, said he is on a ventilator, developed sepsis, and had reportedly spent about two weeks in critical condition at the center before being hospitalized.
“He is covered in injuries. There is a huge bruise on his thigh,” the boy’s mother said.
Telegram channels 112, SHOT, and Mash, citing victims and other sources, reported that children were forced to write the same phrases thousands of times in “feelings diaries,” deprived of food, water, and toilet access, tied up, and beaten. They also alleged that several girls were coerced into sexual acts. Center employee Elena Davydova called the abuse allegations false.
On November 25, authorities in Istra arrested the center’s 29-year-old administrator, Vitaly Balabrikov. Investigators say that from August to November he tortured and beat teenagers under the guise of treatment. Charges were also filed against 18-year-old visitor Milana Sh., whom investigators believe took part in beatings. According to SHOT, Balabrikov had twice previously been convicted under Article 228 on drug charges.
Children from the Dedovsk facility were returned to their parents, while another eight teenagers were placed in specialized social institutions. The search for other organizers is continuing, and Anna Khobotova has also been placed on a wanted list. On November 26, security officers inspected the center’s branch in the settlement of Iset near Verkhnyaya Pyshma, where 22 minors aged 10 to 18 were staying. No visible traces of beatings were found there, but after the inspection another criminal case was opened over the unlawful deprivation of minors’ liberty.