Court begins hearings in case of driving a teenager to suicide

The first hearing in the criminal case of driving 14-year-old schoolboy Artyom to suicide was held at the Sarpinsky District Court. Artyom lived in the village of Sadovoye in the Republic of Kalmykia, located 100 kilometers from Volgograd. Lawyer Vitaly Grigoryev, representing the interests of the deceased«s relatives, clarified that the session was closed and addressed the issue of extending the preventive measures for the accused.

Grigoryev commented on the outcome of the proceeding: «The first hearing in the case of driving Artyom to suicide has concluded. Three defendants have had their preventive measures extended for six months. All subsequent court sessions will be held openly. There are five defendants in the case, each with at least one defender, plus legal representatives, public defenders. There are many people. The date of the next proceeding has been set; I will say more about it later. Most likely, charges will be announced to the individuals involved in the case.»

The incident that led to the case being opened occurred in early March of last year. A group of teenagers subjected the 14-year-old schoolboy to humiliation and beating, recording the events on video. The next day, the recording appeared on social networks. Soon after, the body of the deceased was found, and later, one of the witnesses to the abuse was found dead.

According to the investigation, four minors and their adult «mentor» are involved in the crime. The mentor is alleged to have given instructions regarding actions against the victim.