Russian court upholds sentences over fatal house fire

Tyumen Regional Court has rejected the appeal of those convicted over a house fire in which 97 homes were destroyed and four people died.

The fire occurred in the village of Krivoshchekovo in the early hours of 4 April 2022. It started in a disused building and quickly spread to nearby houses.

Initially, 21 residents were questioned as part of the investigation into the blaze. Witnesses said they had seen five children set fire to the building, but after an investigation, only two boys, aged 11 and 12, were convicted. They were sentenced to eight and ten years in a juvenile detention centre respectively.

The court found that the boys had started the fire by throwing burning paper into the porch of the building. They then ran away and watched as the fire spread. The fire quickly engulfed the building and spread to other wooden houses in the village, destroying 97 homes and killing four people.

The boys' parents appealed to the regional court, arguing that the sentence was too harsh and that their children did not intend to cause such damage. However, the court rejected the appeal, saying that the boys were aware of the danger of their actions and should have foreseen the consequences.

The fire in Krivoshchekovo was one of the deadliest in Russia in recent years. It highlighted the dangers of arson and the importance of fire safety education.