Shocking video: a teacher of an educational and rehabilitation center in Lviv region hits a child with a metal rod

Journalists of “Ukrainian Pravda” published a video that shocked society with its brutality and revealed serious problems in the work of some rehabilitation centers designed to provide assistance to the most vulnerable categories of children. The recording shows how the teacher of the educational and rehabilitation center hits the child with a metal rod, who is obviously unable to defend himself. After that, when the child falls on the sofa, the aggression does not stop: the woman continues to hit her with her fists, in particular on the head. At the same time, she uses offensive words, calling the child a “beast”, which indicates deep moral decay and indifference to human dignity.

This incident did not go unnoticed by law enforcement agencies and authorities. The Prosecutor General’s Office immediately began checking the released video material in order to find out all the details of the incident and take the necessary measures.

“Violence against children in an educational and rehabilitation center in the Lviv region – a pre-trial investigation into abuse of its pupils is ongoing

A video of violence against a pupil in an educational rehabilitation center in the Lviv Region is circulating on the Internet. This fact is the subject of verification as part of the criminal proceedings initiated by the law enforcement officers of the Lviv Oblast on September 27, 2024.

To date, 46 people have been questioned in criminal proceedings, searches have been conducted, temporary access to things and documents has been implemented, and forensic examinations have been ordered. Children who could become victims of violent acts were transferred to another institution.

The director of the educational rehabilitation center has been suspended from his duties.

The pre-trial investigation into the facts of beatings and murder and sexual violence continues (Articles 126, 153 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The body of the pre-trial investigation is the GSU of the National Police in the Lviv region, the procedural management is the juvenile prosecutors of the Lviv regional prosecutor’s office. – stated in the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The Ombudsman of Ukraine Dmytro Lubinets also reacted to the incident, noting that all children from this center should be urgently transferred to other institutions where their lives and health will not be threatened. Lubinets emphasized that he personally monitors the progress of the investigation and hopes for quick and decisive actions by the law enforcement officers. He also demands specific steps from the Lviv Regional Military Administration and the Service for Children to prevent similar cases in the future.

“A video with footage of ill-treatment in an educational and rehabilitation center in Lviv region began to spread on social networks.

I emphasize: this situation is under my control. Law enforcement agencies are currently investigating. We await the results and hope they will be impartial to protect the best interests of children.

Also, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that in order to protect the children, they must be moved from the specified institution.

Therefore, I expect quick decisions and effective steps from the Lviv Regional Military Administration and the Service for Children.

After all, you can’t treat children cruelly and inappropriately. They deserve to have all their rights respected!”, – stated Lubinets

We have already wrote about a case that happened in an educational rehabilitation center in Lviv region, in which the management of the institution, instead of caring and rehabilitating, committed psychological, physical and sexual violence against children who were already in difficult life circumstances.

On September 28, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Dmytro Lubinets, stated that he had received information about possible physical, psychological and sexual violence against children by the director of an educational and rehabilitation institution in Lviv Region.

“As a matter of urgency, I initiated a monitoring visit, which was attended by representatives of the National Social Service of Ukraine and partners – psychologists from the Charity Fund “Voices of Children” and “SOS Children’s Town”.

The facility we visited accommodates the most vulnerable categories of children: orphans, children deprived of parental care, children in difficult life circumstances, and children with special educational needs. We have recorded children’s testimonies that the director of the institution performed sexual acts against the female students, publicly humiliated them, and also threatened to beat them and commit them to a psychiatric hospital for “bad behavior” or violation of the daily routine.

The children complained that they were systematically told: “No one needs you”, “Your parents are alcoholics”, “You are sick”, “Nothing good will come of you”. The attitude of employees led by the director towards children as “sick”, disabled – “they have a diagnosis, they are inadequate”, which made their further development and rehabilitation impossible.

Particularly shocking is the fact that over the past six months, children and others acting in their interests have made complaints to the National Police, local children’s services and the Department of Education, but have not received any response. On the contrary, for every complaint about the conditions of detention or the behavior of the staff of the institution, the children were beaten with sticks and humiliated.

After the monitoring visit, representatives of the National Police of Ukraine and the prosecutor’s office were called to the place, who, under the pressure of those present, began to document the facts of the violations. As a result of the response, criminal proceedings were opened under Part 3 of Article 153 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: “sexual violence against a minor,” Lubinets said.

This case once again raises the question of supervision and control over the activities of institutions that work with children. It also highlights the importance of creating a system to prevent violence in children’s institutions, where children should feel safe and receive adequate care. It is important that such situations do not remain unnoticed by society, and that the perpetrators receive appropriate punishment, because violence against children is not only a criminal offense, but also a deep moral problem that requires an immediate solution.