Violence and child abuse surged worldwide since the coronavirus pandemic. People are stuck at home, jobs are lost, and mental health issues are increasing. Our attention turns to a toddler in Russia who died due to child abuse. His death is unbearable.
Scene of the Crime
Police found 3-year-old Nikita Soshkin in his crib with fists clenched to his eyes. The toddler was found dead in his home in the village of Presnovka, Russia.
The boy was in clean clothes as his mother washed him with a wet rag and changed his clothes before calling the police, Mirror UK reported.
23-year-old Nadezhda Soshkina told the police his son had fallen off the swing. She said she was managing the cattle, so her husband and son Nikita went into the house.
Later, the young mother heard her son crying. The toddler did not complain of anything and had no bruises, alleged the victim's mom. "He only asked for a drink before bed," she added.
Strong Evidence Showed Boy Died Painfully
However, the post-mortem examination revealed that the child's small intestine ruptured and got torn off in his stomach due to horrific blows, The Sun UK reported. It was later revealed his stepdad kicked him repeatedly in the stomach for crying.
Omsk Regional Investigative Committee unveiled that the toddler's parents had alcoholic drinks with their friends on the night of the crime. When he was found, the posture of the boy showed that he had been wiping tears, suffering in pain.
Step-Father Blames Alcohol for Boy's Death
Nikita's step-father, 34-year-old Sergey Lavrenov, pleaded partially guilty to the offense. He admitted to kicking the child but said he had not planned to kill the little boy.
Lavrenov had gone home drunk, and so blamed alcohol for the misfortune of the boy.
Child's Grandmother Reveals What Happened
Nikita's grandmother Svetlana Lymar revealed that the child's parents did not call emergency services immediately after finding his cold, bruised, dead body.
"They found him dead at 6 a.m. His mother proceeded to wash his dead body, clean his clothes, and even had time to clean the apartment before finally calling emergency services," revealed the victim's grandma.
Neighbors Claim Stepdad Never Loved the Boy
A witness revealed that it was evident the boy died in agonizing pain, saying, "His stomach was bloated, fists clenched, and eyes wide open."
Villagers also alleged that the victim's stepdad cruelly punished the toddler for everything, and his mother tacitly consented to the abuse. Further, the family's neighbors claim the stepdad did not show love towards the boy.
The victim's parents were later seen choosing a coffin for the child. Alesya Grigorieva, a local social activist, exclaimed, "How can you call this creature a mother when she even had not one picture of her son in his lifetime?"
Judgment Passed, Hope for Justice
Okoneshnikovsky District Court found the accused guilty of serious personal injury resulting in death. Sergey Lavrenov has been sentenced to 12 and a half years behind bars.
The victim's mother is also under investigation. Nadezhda Soshkina is called for failing to fulfill parental duties and leaving the child in danger.
Soshkina, mother of three other kids under the age of five, is at risk of losing parental rights to Nikita's siblings. Once convicted, she could face up to one year in prison along with a fine.
