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Criminal proceedings initiated against police officers over negligence in kids murder case

Investigators believe that the policemen’s criminal inaction encouraged the suspect to murder his pregnant wife and six children in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region

MOSCOW, August 5 /TASS/. Investigators have initiated criminal proceedings against a district police chief and his four subordinates who demonstrated negligence prior to the murder of a mother and her six children in Nizhny Novgorod (Russia’s fifth largest city located 400 kilometers east of Moscow), Vladimir Markin, a spokesperson for the Russian Investigation Committee, told TASS on Wednesday.

"Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Russian Investigation Committee, has issued an order to check the actions of policemen who refused to react to an application written by the wife of (suspected murderer) Oleg Belov about constant threats made to her and her children," Markin said adding that a criminal lawsuit had already been filed on charges of negligence that led to the death by inadvertence of more than two people.

According to him, criminal proceedings have been initiated against Alexander Volchak, the head of a district police department; his deputy Vyacheslav Nikitin; police unit chief Viktor Miller and district police officers Dmitry Oblivin and Vladimir Filimonov.

According to investigators, the wife of Oleg Belov constantly informed police department No. 5 in Nizhny Novgorod about her husband’s acts of hooliganism between October 2014 and July 2015. She also complained that he had beaten her and other family members. He also threatened to kill and dismember them, including children of young age.

"The arguments (the woman) gave in the application were left unchecked for several months while district police officers refused to initiate criminal proceedings with their bosses’ consent," Markin said.

Investigators believe that the policemen’s criminal inaction encouraged Belov to commit his brutal crime.

Criminal proceedings have also been initiated against Oleg Belov. The investigation into his case is under way. "Preliminary inquiries are aimed at clarifying the circumstances that contributed to the crime," Markin stressed.

Police detained Oleg Belov suspected of murdering his pregnant wife and six children in the town of Kovrov, Russia’s Vladimir region, late on August 4. The police officers had to use force after Belov had attacked them with a knife during the detention. Belov was injured and taken to hospital. His condition is now stable.

According to Russian Children’s Rights Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov, Belov was arrested when he was allegedly on a way to kill his mother-in-law.