A woman in West Siberia has been jailed for 10 years for beating her three-year-old son to death with a belt, prosecutors said on Tuesday.
Natalya Martinova, 37, whipped her child with the belt, put him in the corner and then fell asleep in the city of Kemerovo last November. The boy died soon after of his injuries.
Russia has a horrific record on child abuse. Some 2,000 children are killed every year in the country by adults, many of whom die at the hands of their parents or relatives.
The latest incident comes less than a year after a belt containing a message urging parents not to beat their children went on sale in Siberia.
The idea for the belt – decorated with the words “a belt is for your trousers – a talk is for your child” – came from a group of journalists and was supported by a local children’s charity.
NOVOKUZNETSK, March 29 (RIA Novosti)