Moscow: In a disturbing act of violence which took place at a Russian airport, a Belarusian tourist picked up a one-and-a-half-year-old boy and slammed him to the floor in the arrivals hall, leaving the child in coma.
The horrifying incident, caught on surveillance footage, unfolded just moments after the child and his mother arrived in Russia.
According to a report by The Sun, the toddler suffered skull fractures and several spinal injuries in the unprovoked attack. The child’s pregnant mother had stepped away briefly to collect a pushchair when the accused, identified as 31-year-old Vladimir Vitkov from Belarus, allegedly approached and lifted the boy off the ground before slamming him down with force.
Trigger Warning: Viewer discretion is advised. The visuals in the following footage could be disturbing to some.
Possible Racial Angle
According to the Russian media, the family had travelled to Russia after fleeing from Iran, making their way through Afghanistan in search of safety amidst the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
The police are reportedly looking into weather the assault was racially motivated to influenced by any other factors.
Authorities suspect the accused was under the influence of drugs at the time. Traces of cannabis were found in his blood, and some reports also claimed that he was also carrying drugs. Vitkov, who had recently arrived in Russia, reportedly from either Cyprus or Egypt, was unable to explain his actions when questioned by police. “I made mistakes like that,” he told investigators.
Suspect Taken Into Custody
Ksenia Mishonova, Children’s Ombudswoman for the Moscow Region, condemned the act strongly. “A drug-addled monster grabbed a toddler in the arrivals hall and threw him on the floor with all his might… All this is incredibly difficult to bear. May the parents have the strength to survive this,” she said, as quoted by Russian news outlets.
The suspect has been taken into custody and is being investigated for attempted murder. In a disturbing twist, Vitkov is said to have a daughter of the same age as the child he allegedly attacked. A woman described as a close friend of the accused told reporters she was “in shock” over the incident.
