Child Beaten and Mice Infest Beds at Tolyatti Sanatorium

“Sanatorium health resort treatment” — for many parents, this phrase sounds like a promise: the child will improve their health, rest, and be under supervision. A state voucher is almost a gift. But what if instead of recovery, the child gets a black eye, a night of fear, and the silence of adults who should have protected them? A journalist from 63.RU investigated the story that happened in November this year at the Elektronik-Dubrava sanatorium on the territory of the Zvyozdny boarding house in Tolyatti and is actively discussed on social networks.

“Mom, Tima was beaten”

In November, two brothers from Kinel — Tima (born 2012) and Alik (born 2016) (the children«s names have been changed) — were sent to Elektronik-Dubrava on a state voucher. Late in the evening on November 26, the boys» mother accidentally learns from her younger son over the phone that the older one, Tima, was beaten. Not accidentally hit, not tripped — specifically beaten.

Calls to the sanatorium first go unanswered, and on the phone to 112, they respond: “We«ll sort it out.” Employees of the juvenile affairs department (PDN) of the police did not go to the call. And when the mother finally got through to the sanatorium administration, they assured her: “Everything is fine, he just hit the nightstand.”

“They kept clucking the same thing: ‘Nightstand, nightstand,’ — Tima»s mother says emotionally. — ‘And the child has a black eye under his eye, and he is silent. Why is he silent? Because he was told to be silent?’”

Only when the mother directly stated that she would seek an inspection and she has evidence, the camp counselor admitted: yes, after all, there was a conflict with another child. And sent a photo. Why not immediately? Because, as it turns out, there was a direct instruction from the sanatorium director — to tell the parents nothing. Like, the bruises will fade and everything will be forgotten.

Silence = Indifference

The mother went to Tolyatti. On the way, she notified all possible authorities. On site — she called 112 again, again called the juvenile affairs department. Finally, an ambulance arrived. But, according to the mother, the paramedic instead of examining started pressuring the child: “You called your mom, right? You just hit yourself, right?”

They brought the boy who hit Tima. He apologized and cried. According to Tima«s mother, it was visible that this child was not an aggressor.

“I even started defending him,” — says Tima»s mother. — “Because the root of evil is not in the children. The root is in the adults, who hid the fact, left the child with an injury without help, did not tell the parents, waited two days for ‘it to resolve itself.’ They were saving not the children, but their reputation.”

Mice Falling from the Ceiling

On site, it turned out that this was not the only problem in the sanatorium. Children in the buildings sleep poorly at night — not because of noise, but because of plain fear. According to parents and the children themselves, mice have infested the premises. And the rodents don«t just rustle in the corners, they run along the pipes, sometimes climb onto beds and literally fall from the ceiling.

“The children listened to them running along the pipes, were afraid to fall asleep,” — told the mother of one of the vacationers. — “The counselors themselves were afraid of them. Is this sanatorium conditions? This is a nightmare.”

Official Versions: From “Nightstand” to “Pillow”

We sent a request to the children«s sanatorium camp. Deputy director of Elektronik-Dubrava Yulia Udachina provided a detailed comment. According to her, on November 26, Tima “received a soft tissue contusion” during “personal hygiene” before bedtime. First he said that he hit the nightstand while playing with pillows. Only on November 27 did it become clear that he was “accidentally hit” by another boy. Everything was peaceful, the children “made up,” had no complaints, assures the deputy director.

“The ambulance employee examined Tima and recorded that he has a bruise under his eye, but there are no beatings,” — it says in the response. — “The fact of beating was not established.”

In the police, in turn, we were informed that based on the mother»s application, an inspection is being conducted. The child, according to preliminary data, explained that he received injuries “during play.” A forensic medical examination has been appointed.

“Children are not fools — they do everything secretly”

We talked with an experienced children«s camp worker, who asked not to be named. He admits: conflicts between children happen everywhere.

“It happened, they fought — in jest or in earnest. After that, we always held conversations, explained that problems are not solved with fists,” — he says. — “But children — are not fools. They understand when they are being watched, and can do everything secretly.”

According to him, sometimes a child»s behavior in camp is radically different from at home. A quiet, calm boy can turn out to be an instigator of bullying — simply because there is no parental control here. And to blame only the administration for this — is unfair.

“Now we see a conflict between the mother and the leadership, blown up on social networks,” — considers the interlocutor. — “But we do not hear the other side: the roommates, counselors, medics. I am sure, the real picture is greatly exaggerated.”

But facts remain facts: the child was injured, he was not provided full assistance, the parents were lied to, and rodents are present in the buildings.

Tima«s mother does not demand million-dollar compensations. She wants one thing: for the adults, who should have protected her child, to answer for their inaction. She has already collected appeals to the police, prosecutor»s office, Rospotrebnadzor.