A Russian boy who attempted to defend his mother against a man who was trying to rape her has died after suffering injuries in the attack.
Vanya picked up a 6-pound dumbbell and hit Pronin with it. But the man grabbed the weight and struck him over the head before fleeing.
Neighbors who heard the attack found the pair unconscious. Vanya was left comatose during the attack while his mother recovered after she was stabbed 27 times by the man.
Surgeons had to remove some of the boy’s brain, prompting a Russian TV personality to raise money for him. The incident occurred in May 2017.
Sky reported of his mother: “Vanya’s mother has faced criticism in Russia for only visiting him a few times. She said she could not bring herself to see him because she blamed herself for the attack.”
About a month later, he was transported to Moscow to a rehabilitation center. A month later, however, he contracted the flu and later died.
Before the attack, his mother, Natalia, had asked Russian officials to stop Pronin, a convicted murderer who was released from prison, from living near her family when he was released.
Pronin was jailed for 14 years for their attempted murders in the May 2017 incident. He will now face murder charges after the teen died.
‘Toughest’ Prison
Russian prisons have a notorious reputation for being brutal, cold places.Prison guard Denis Avsyuk told National Geographic: “The main crime committed by the convicts here is murder. But we also have maniacs, pedophiles, and terrorists.”
He added: “To call them people, it makes your tongue bend backwards just to say it. I have never felt any sympathy for them.”
The inmates are kept in isolated cells and are monitored 24 hours per day. When they are taken out of their cells, the prisoners are sometimes forced to walk blindfolded or even backward to stop them from learning the layout of the facility.