A 13-year-old schoolgirl in St Petersburg, Russia, has allegedly killed her mother after the woman confiscated her phone over a dispute about her social media use. Svetlana Cheglyakova, 46, was found dead with her throat slit in the family's flat, which had been set on fire.
According to law enforcement sources cited by Russian media, the girl initially claimed an intruder had broken in, killed her mother, wounded her, and started the fire. However, under questioning, she admitted to grabbing a knife and stabbing her mother in the neck following arguments about her online activities.
The teen accused her mother of constantly bullying her, not allowing her to socialise with friends, and monitoring her every move. On the night of the incident, she said her mother yelled at her and slapped her. The girl's social media included TikTok videos featuring streams from the popular game Roblox.
Investigators noted that the girl's actions resembled scenarios she had played out in online games, including a character dancing in a burning room and carrying an injured player. The crime channel 112 reported that she is suspected of simulating the murder and the subsequent cover-up.
The girl, who comes from a single-parent family after her parents separated, is currently in hospital. The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case for murder, but due to her age—below the age of criminal responsibility in Russia—she cannot face trial.
