According to preliminary data, the 4 and 6-year-old children who were badly beaten by their grandfather yesterday were from the Khashtarak village of Tavush. Although the rumors state that the grandfather was the one who beat them, the villagers believe it was their aunt. According to the village leader, the aunt is divorced, has several children, and has mental health issues.
In an interview with Aravot Daily, village leader Andranik Virabyan said that the children’s mother has problems with her mental health and is currently receiving treatment at a psychiatric hospital. The children’s father also has mental health problems. Andranik Virabyan said that the children’s grandparents are the ones who mainly take care of them because they are healthy. “The grandfather is such a kind man. It’s impossible for him to have done something like that. The children’s grandmother called this morning and asked me to do something so that her husband would get released from the police station. He really couldn’t have been the one to have done something like that. If you spoke to him, you’d have understood that.”
The village leader said that he cannot be sure, but he won’t exclude the possibility of the aunt being the one to have beat the children and the grandfather taking the blame for it. The village leader is unaware of the details surrounding the case.
In the end, he added that the community center had organized for the children to be taken to the orphanage one time, but the aunt went and brought the children back, perhaps so that she would not be deprived of her caretaker benefits.
One of the children is in critical condition currently. The village leader said that the child suffered head injuries and needs surgery.
Arpine Simonyan
