In the village of Zhumyshy, Kazygurt District, Turkestan Region, a 12-year-old schoolboy Ulagat Saidulla died during a lesson. The children were left unsupervised — the teacher was not in the classroom. According to the mother of the deceased, Gulmira Kenzheyeva, the boy was strangled by a classmate. The tragedy occurred in February, but those responsible have not yet been punished.
According to ORDA, the conflict between the children arose over a mobile phone. After a verbal altercation, one of the students began strangling Ulagat while he was sitting at his desk.
"He strangled him for a long time. When Ulagat fell to the floor, no one came. The teacher was not in the lesson. The pupils ran, but did not call anyone. They poured water on him themselves and tried to help as best they could," said Gulmira Kenzheyeva.
According to the forensic medical examination, the child did not suffer from any chronic diseases. The cause of death was strangulation, the boy's mother clarifies.
The woman claims that the supervising teacher knew that the pupil had fainted, but did not react in any way.
"The children shouted: 'Aina apai, Ulagat has fainted!' But the supervising teacher closed the door. If she had come in then, nothing would have happened. <…> The child was absolutely healthy. He choked on his own tongue when he was squeezed tightly," the woman says.
After the tragedy, an internal investigation was conducted at the school. The school's director, his deputy, and four teachers were dismissed. They have filed a complaint with the labour inspectorate and are trying to get their jobs back.
"The labour inspectorate issued such an order. We forwarded it to the education department for a legal assessment. According to the order, the points in the directive were incorrectly formulated," said the former school director, Omirserik Kenzheyev.
As for the pupil who, according to the family's claim, strangled Ulagat, there has been no criminal prosecution against him. The teenager's parents were only issued an administrative fine.
Gulmira Kenzheyeva, who previously lost her husband, is now raising four children alone. She is demanding a review of the case and for all those responsible to be held accountable.