Shocking Abuse Allegations Uncovered at Moscow-area Rehab Center Following Arrests

Russian law enforcement officials announced on Tuesday the arrest of the administrator and an 18-year-old resident of a privately operated rehabilitation center near Moscow amid allegations of physical and psychological abuse of minors at the facility.

On Sunday, a 16-year-old boy, also a resident of the Dedovsk center, was admitted to the hospital in an unconscious state, suffering from multiple injuries to his head, torso, and limbs, as well as marks suggesting he had been restrained at the wrists and ankles, according to the Investigative Committee of the Moscow region.

The regional prosecutor’s office indicated that the teenager remained in critical condition. He had also experienced a chronic health issue that was neglected at the center, as stated by Tatiana Vitusheva, the head of the Istrinsky district encompassing Dedovsk.

The Dedovsk center was reportedly home to 24 minors aged 11 to 17 who had been sent there for treatment of drug and alcohol dependency.

Authorities revealed that the facility had been operating unlawfully since August and that the children had faced beatings and torture.

State broadcaster Ren TV aired footage of police raiding the Dedovsk center on Sunday night. The building was subsequently sealed off, with employees and residents ordered to vacate.

Prosecutors reported that 22 minors were present during the raid and alleged they had been kept in isolation with restricted access to food and water. Some have since been returned to their legal guardians, while others were placed in a family care facility.

A court has issued a ruling to hold the administrator of the Dedovsk center in pre-trial detention on charges including torture, illegal detention of minors, provision of unsafe services, and intentionally causing serious bodily harm.

Vitusheva mentioned that the administrator was the sole employee of the facility and added that investigators are considering whether the center’s owner, Anna Khobotova, was aware of its illegal activities.

A court decision regarding the 18-year-old resident accused of involvement in the abuse is anticipated to be delivered on Wednesday.

Ren TV also featured an interview with the mother of the resident, Olesya Yefanova, who denied the allegations against her daughter. She asserted that her daughter, Milana, had been receiving treatment at the center for screen addiction since May 2024 and had shown signs of progress.