Adults have a responsibility to protect any child that is placed under their care, but what happens when they turn out to be perpetrators themselves? Recently, reports of inappropriate sexual relations between students and teachers surfaced, quickly erupting into a regional scandal and prompting local officials to launch a widespread investigation in all academic institutions.

(https://m.bryansk.kp.ru/online/news/3071972/ - article in Russian)

The findings were grim and far beyond what they could have imagined, particularly in the boarding school from where it all began. Apart from the inappropriate relationship, officials discovered other forms of abuse being inflicted upon children, from outright neglect, teen pregnancy, and prostitution. Several students were also reported to be suicidal, while one child was found to have died on school grounds after inhaling toxic fumes.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that school authorities, many of whom did not possess the necessary credentials to teach and supervise children, were very much aware of the dangers their students were facing on a daily basis. One brave 16-year-old who dared to come forward told police that she had informed the school’s management about what was going on, only for her words to be ignored and dismissed. When she returned with evidence – a recording of an intimate conversation between the teacher and his victims – she was interrogated with physical force, her phone subsequently destroyed.

The injustice that these boarding school students have had to endure for years is something that no responsible, God-fearing adult should stand for. We at Allies have made it our life’s mission to love and protect children who are most vulnerable to the ills of society, and we simply could not sit back and do nothing as orphans in Bryansk continue to suffer and fall by the wayside.

Allies has officially begun working with partners in the region, hoping to provide assistance to the affected children. Volunteers in Bryansk have graciously donated their time to help receive, sort and unpack boxes being shipped to the orphanage.

As local law enforcement move forward with their investigation (criminal charges have since been filed and the main perpetrator arrested), we likewise will remain steadfast in our goal to bring light, healing and hope to the young victims.

It is our sincere prayer that these children will no longer be silenced and forced into a life of neglect, abuse and prostitution. Take action with us! Partner with us today to change their lives! Your investment will literally save their lives!