No girl - no problem

The Dagestan lawyer Sapait Magomedova became the laureate of the pen Anger, established by the Swedish government. The reward is awarded "for selfless and associated with a risk of activity as a lawyer and a fearless defender of human rights in the context of a cruel and hostile environment."

In Dagestan, Magomedova became known in June 2010. When the lawyer tried to go to the Khasavyurt District Department of Internal Affairs to the client, she was beaten by four OMON employees. The lawyer in unconsciousness was delivered to the hospital. Magomedova spent almost two months in a wheelchair and was treated from wounds left by the security forces. The lawyer wrote a statement to riot police, but they wrote a counterclaim, they say, Magomedova herself beat them. As evidence, the security forces presented a torn shape, but then, when the public lifted them to laugh (it turned out that riot police beat a 42-kilogram girl with a “meter with a cap”), they changed the statement-allegedly Magomedova cursed to their address.

Criminal cases were initiated by both statements, but in March 2012, both cases were terminated with the wording of "insufficient evidence." Magomedova says that she would have protested the decision of the investigator, but to this day cannot get from the Investigative Committee so that she was allowed to get acquainted with the case file.

Sapiyat Magomedova - one of the few Dagestan lawyers specializing in the affairs of sexual violence. Previously, such affairs were a rarity in Dagestan. The PublicPost correspondent talked with her about a new urgent problem in the republic.

- The problem of sexual violence seemed to have not been especially acute in Dagestan before. Is something changed?

In fact, in the last year, a flurry of rape has been observed in the republic. Probably, this is more due to the fact that many no longer hide these facts, but try to achieve punishment. Most often, violence occurs in small cities and minors become victims.

It so happened that in my practice there were many things related to sexual violence. But I represent not only the interests of the victims, but also the accused. Here in the Supreme Court of Dagestan, the process in the case of a suspect in sexual violence against a young stepson is taking place. The accusation consists entirely of falsifications, and during the trial they pop up, but for some reason the judge does not see them, and does not react to my comments adequately, he says, even if Father Bastrykin will complain. This person, the accused, was taken by the police just in the midst of the anti -pedophile campaign. After all, statistics are important for law enforcement officers, and for the sake of her they are ready to dry the innocent. Moreover, they act, connecting their purchased journalists. In Dagestan, only call a person a pedophile - to understand whether it is true or not, no one will be.

-You were also doing the case of a 13-year-old girl of their Khasavyurt, who was raped by classmates.

Yes, but, alas, the girl and her mother abandoned the data at the beginning of the testimony and my services. Most likely, either they were intimidated, or with them, let's say, agreed. But now I am doing a similar thing. In the village of Karabudakhkent, 16-year-old for two years, by blackmail, was inclined to sex and raped 11 people. A group of youth took all these actions on the phone. Unable to stand it, the girl admitted to her father and swallowed her pills. Here we must pay tribute to his father that he had contacted the police. Usually this is in Dagestan how is it solved? Parents, as a rule, do not believe her daughters: they say, she herself gave an occasion. In the best case, and this very, very rarely happens, the girl is sent away from the republic, but there are still frequent cases when she is simply killed. "Murders of Honor" are very characteristic of Dagestan. The girl can even be killed for answering the greeting of a young man.

- And how does the police react to such cases?

In order not to be unfounded, I’ll tell you about the case in the Kizilyurt district. A married couple broke up due to conversations that his wife was walking on the side. Looking ahead, I’ll say: the husband’s mother was allowed these rumors, since she was unhappy with her daughter -in -law. After the divorce, a 23-year-old girl left for Moscow. But the cousin persuaded her to come to his wedding, convinced that no one believes these rumors. The girl arrived, that brother and uncle took her into the forest, strangled her, and then buried. For more than six months, the mother of this girl could not achieve a criminal case - the police did not accept the statements. Law enforcement officers had to almost force them to conduct examinations, detained the suspects. Barely brought this case to the court, the other day the process should begin. But there are many cases that they do not even declare.

- Why aren't they declared?

There are several reasons. Firstly, parents do not want anyone to learn about what happened to their daughter. They are afraid that her fate will not turn out, they say, they will regret her, but no one will marry such. Secondly, the most common, the family of rapists agrees with the relatives of the victim, that is, they give money. Some parents agree to this. They understand that this money will most likely take investigators and close the case. And so, for a conciliatory amount, they will send their daughter to hell - to another region or even from the country. Thirdly, which I already talked about, the family can simply wash away the shame of blood-kill the girl. So easier for them: no girl - there is no problem.