The pig tore the artery
The Prosecutor’s Office of the Irkutsk region organized a review to confirm the circumstances surrounding the death of a man who was bitten by a pig.
On the morning of July 23, 2022, in the village of Telma in the Usolsky district, it was noted that a herd of self-grazing pigs entered a household’s domain. The site owner was bitten in the leg while trying to drive away the animals, and the man later died from heavy blood loss in a medical facility.
The investigation now plans to verify whether the pig owner complied with rules governing the keeping of domestic livestock.
The local portal Usolie-Citi explained that the pig caused the artery to rupture in the man’s leg. The publication also noted a recent rise in complaints about the pig owner, who allowed his animals to graze freely in the village.
The animals wandered the streets, ate grass, and occasionally intruded into other people’s gardens. Four village administrations prepared a report on the shepherding situation, but the penalties issued to the pig owner did not deter him. The troubling situation persisted as the owner continued to move a large number of piglets through the settlement, according to the report.
the unfortunate pig herder
A neighbor of the deceased told socialbites.ca that problems with the pig herder began at the end of May when a local resident named Yuri started releasing his animals into the village streets.
First the pigs turned the schoolyard into a mess. The school principal issued a complaint. Yet the pigs continued to roam Thelma. Neighborhood residents repeatedly turned to the municipality for help. They were told by a representative of the administration that they had limited power in the matter. The villagers feared for the safety of the community and felt unsupported, even though the incident involved a grown man, not a child, in the end.
According to the neighbor, Yuri is over 35, educated, but his behavior raised concerns about stability. When the village administration asked the chief physician of Usolsk hospital to consider compulsory treatment for the man, the request was denied due to a condition labeled remission, and Yuri was removed from the medical registry.
The last admission had occurred in winter at the hospital. To be removed from the registry, a new examination was required within a year. He was taken off the register before that assessment could take place. How this happened remains unclear.
When asked to herd cattle, Yuri reportedly threw stones at neighbors. He tied a dog to his horse, dragged it around Telma, and warned that he would repeat such actions with anyone who tried to restrain his pigs, according to local accounts.
I live in constant fear
Yuri’s former wife, Nadezhda, who is identified by a change of name for safety, told socialbites.ca that she married him in 2017 and they have a child born in 2020. She described a pattern of heavy drinking and violence that eventually led to the collapse of the marriage. She says she reported the abuse to law enforcement, but the help did not arrive.
After the divorce, Nadezhda restricted Yuri’s access to their child out of concern for the child’s safety. She recalls a violent incident when Yuri came home intoxicated and caused property damage, then threatened her with a hammer on the balcony where they were sitting on the second floor. A criminal case opened under Article 119, but no progress followed. The case was later closed after voluntary repentance, and this decision was later challenged by the prosecutor’s office.
Nadezhda notes that Yuri is aware of tensions over the pigs and neighbors. People frequently approached him, but he reportedly responded rudely, throwing stones and displaying aggression. The tragedy occurred over the weekend, and she observed a lack of timely intervention. She contemplates relocating to another city for safety. She also confirmed that Yuri had prior psychiatric hospitalizations for alcohol-related issues, though he was not registered with a persistent diagnosis.
She recalls an episode where she sought guidance from medical staff when Yuri exhibited dangerous behavior from a balcony, but reports that no decisive action followed. The community continues to wrestle with the implications of the situation as law enforcement activity remains minimal, and the broader question of community safety for families and children remains pressing.