A criminal case has been opened in Chechnya against a local woman for child abuse. According to the investigation, the woman from the village of Beno-Yurt in Nadterechny District worked as a nanny and repeatedly beat a one and a half year old child in her care. She told the child’s mother that her daughter had bruises and abrasions on her body because she stumbled and fell.

After picking her daughter up from the nanny, the woman once again noticed severe bruises on the the child’s body. A medical examination was carried out which confirmed that the child had been abused.

The investigation into the case has already been completed and sent to the Prosecutor’s Office for conclusion. If the court finds the woman guilty, she will face from three to seven years in prison.

Several cases of cruel treatment of children by nannies, step-parents, and parents are reported every year in Chechnya. Despite the danger of a prison sentence, the number of such cases has remained steadfast.

Last year, the State Duma significantly reduced the punishment for domestic violence and essentially decriminalised violence towards children committed by close relatives. The amended Criminal Code removed the phrase ‘causing physical pain, but not leading to consequences’ from the article about beating.

[See also: Child abuse epidemic in Chechnya is a post-war syndrome]