A well-known lawyer, Pavel Gerasimov, was assaulted by a group of ten men on a playground in Moscow after a confrontation involving a seven-year-old boy and the boy’s father. The incident, reported by Lenta.ru, occurred as Gerasimov was accompanying a child on the evening of August 20, 2022, in the courtyard of the Mosfilmovsky elite residential complex.
The dispute began when the lawyer intervened in a dispute between children who were playing nearby. He reportedly asked the boy not to touch others inappropriately and to refrain from summoning his parents, noting that the seven-year-old was unsupervised in a public area. This exchange sparked a wider conflict, and the father of the boy called relatives, prompting ten men to confront Gerasimov. The attackers kicked him and issued threats against him and his family.
Security personnel stationed in the residential complex did not intervene directly in the altercation. They did, however, contact law enforcement, and police arrived at the scene about an hour after the incident began. During that time, Gerasimov was subjected to repeated blows in view of bystanders, including children and other parents.
At one point, the group attempted to plant drugs on the victim. Police at the scene reportedly blocked this move, preventing the alleged attempt to contaminate the lawyer. Gerasimov was later taken into custody for questioning and reported that none of the assailants faced immediate action when they left the scene. He also reported the loss of a valuable Omega watch during the incident.
The incident drew significant attention, and subsequent footage showed some of the attackers making apologies from trash bins in front of cameras, an action that drew further public commentary. The events prompted ongoing discussion about safety in public spaces, crowd behavior in residential areas, and the responsibilities of security staff in protecting residents and visitors alike. [Citation: Lenta.ru]
Authorities announced that investigations would continue to determine the exact sequence of events and the roles of each participant. The case has raised questions about how quickly emergency services respond to violent incidents in crowded city spaces and how bystander safety is managed when children witness aggression. The outcome of the investigation remains a point of public interest in Moscow’s urban security landscape.