A 13-year-old Russian schoolgirl has been accused of taking the life of her own mother following an argument about her alleged online obsession.
Svetlana Cheglyakova, 46, was found with fatal injuries in their St. Petersburg flat after her daughter allegedly snapped. Netizens have responded to the story with a mix of shock and sympathy for the slain mom.
The teen allegedly attacked her mother after her phone was confiscated and her online activities were criticized
Image credits: Daniel von Appen/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to matricide, which may be distressing to some.
According to Russian law enforcement reports leaked to Fontanka and crime channel 112, the fatal argument erupted when Svetlana confiscated her daughter’s phone.
The 13-year-old reportedly grabbed a kitchen knife, slashed her mother’s throat, and stabbed her multiple times in the neck, according to The Mirror.
Image credits: East2west News
She then deliberately cut her own hands, set fire to the flat, and told emergency services that a masked intruder had broken in and attacked them both.
Upon questioning by detectives, however, the girl admitted that she had actually grabbed a knife and attacked her mother. She also admitted that their fight was due to her online activities.
Image credits: East2west News
According to the publication, the 13-year-old claimed that her mother monitored her every step and did not let her “hang out with friends.”
The girl also claimed that her mother “constantly bullied her.” During the night of the incident, the daughter alleged that her late mom “yelled at her and slapped her.”
Authorities have stated that the girl had already role-played the incident’s disturbing scenes in an online game
Image credits: Berke Citak/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
Investigators have stated that the schoolgirl had simulated eerily similar scenarios during Roblox sessions, which were posted on TikTok.
In one clip, she made her character dance for minutes inside a burning room.
In another, she carried an injured avatar in her arms, similar to how she later claimed to have tried to “save” her dying mother when they were allegedly “attacked.”
“Her actions do not resemble standard gameplay,” a law enforcement source told channel 112.
The report stated that the girl was suspected of “simulating the slaying of her own mother and the subsequent attempt to cover up the crime.”
Roblox has caught a lot of controversy and criticism over its handling of child safety
Image credits: East2west News
Roblox has caught a lot of flak this year due to reports alleging that the game exposes children to disturbing and inappropriate content.
While the company has stated that tens of millions of players enjoy a “positive, enriching and safe experience” every day, a damning investigation by The Guardian has cast doubt on the claim.
During the investigation, digital behavior experts at Revealing Reality created fake accounts aged 5, 9, 10, 13, and 40+ that interacted only with each other to ensure their avatars’ behaviors were not influenced in any way.
Image credits: East2west News
Even in this controlled environment, children as young as five were able to communicate directly with adult avatars.
A simulated 10-year-old’s account also stumbled into hotel “experiences” featuring avatars in fishnets gyrating on beds and others simulating adult acts, plus public bathroom games offering f**ish accessories and explicit content.
Despite Roblox rolling out new parental controls and improved safety systems, the researchers concluded that the safeguards are “limited in their effectiveness” and that “significant risks for children” remain very much present in the game.
Because the girl is only 13, she will not face trial for the slaying of her mother
Image credits: Roman Rezor/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
Russia’s age of criminal responsibility is 16 years, which means that the girl will face no trial despite her confession.
She is currently receiving treatment in a hospital for the self-inflicted cuts to her hands, while the Russian Investigative Committee continues its probe.
The case has sparked an outpouring of horror and debate across social media.
Image credits: reewungjunerr/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
“This is really sad and heartbreaking. We can only do so much as parents,” one comment read. “Well, if that isn’t proof that online a**iction is a very real thing, I don’t know what is,” another user wrote.
Others, however, pushed back. “A lad I went to school with 30 years ago did a similar thing to his mother when she wouldn’t let him have the car keys. It’s not the phone nor social media. Some children or young adults don’t realize the consequences of their actions.”
Netizens shared their thoughts about the disturbing case on social media
