A Russian woman who adopted as many as 20 young girls only to subject them to sustained torture, humiliation, and starvation has been sentenced to more than four years in a harsh penal colony. Elena Rogotovskaya, from Krasnodar in southern Russia, was found guilty of multiple counts of torture and child abuse covering a six-year period of horrific cruelty.
Six-Year Campaign of Abuse
According to documents released by the Krasnodar Regional Court, Rogotovskaya's first spree of brutality took place between 2011 and 2017 in Russia's Chelyabinsk region. During this time, she adopted eight young girls aged between five and 15. The court heard that her helpless victims were routinely punched, kicked, and beaten with various household objects — the same items that should have provided them with care and comfort.
Court documents describe an 'environment of humiliation' in which the vulnerable girls were 'insulted' and 'intimidated,' as well as having their food restricted along with other 'cruel and humiliating punishments.' The document states: 'She regularly beat the children with her hands, feet, and various household objects, subjected them to cruel and humiliating punishment, restricted their diet, insulted them, and intimidated them, creating an environment of constant fear and despair.'
Abuse Continued After Moving House
Shockingly, this six-year period of abuse was only the beginning of Rogotovskaya's regime of cruelty. After the family moved house in 2017, she inflicted a similar routine of beatings, torture, and deprivation on another 12 children. On one occasion in July 2020, she was found to have intentionally thrown a 10-year-old girl to the ground, causing a serious elbow fracture.
Despite the long list of heinous crimes, Rogotovskaya pleaded not guilty in court. However, after a trial, she was found guilty of all charges. The Gelendzhik City Court sentenced her to four years and six months in a general regime penal colony, and imposed a three-year ban from any activities related to the guardianship of minors or young children.
Sentencing and Aftermath
According to criminal records: 'The Gelendzhik City Court sentenced Elena Rogotovskaya to four years and six months in a general regime penal colony and three years of disqualification from activities related to the guardianship of minors and young children.' The sentence reflects the severity of the abuse, which left her victims physically and psychologically scarred. The case has sparked outrage in Russia, highlighting failures in the adoption system that allowed such prolonged abuse to occur.
