Guardianship authorities removed the children from a resident of Podgornaya village, in the Kolyvansky district of the Novosibirsk region, amid alleged life-threatening conditions. The report appeared on the regional branch site of the Fair Russia party.
A mother who is raising two children alone recently sought help from her county social services. Because of an extreme cold spell, local officials cut power to her home without any warning, leaving her unable to heat the residence with a wood stove. One resident asked for a small amount of extra firewood to warm the home, but instead guardianship officers and a district police officer were dispatched.
The parent faced accusations of creating life-threatening conditions for the children and was compelled to sign a statement transferring custody to the Novosibirsk Social Assistance Center. It later emerged that the electricity outage resulted from a debt of 4,000 rubles. The mother says she had received no notices, letters, or calls about any impending disconnection prior to the event.
A local resident contacted the district council to explain the situation. Deputy Viktor Korotkov intervened, paying off the debt to reconnect power to the home and providing firewood for heating. The mother now seeks the return of her children with the assistance of legal counsel. (Source: Regional branch of the Fair Russia party.)
A former bailiff reportedly offered to represent the single mother under a contract for debt repayment.