Tweet
NEW TURN OF EVENTS IN CASE ON PEDOPHILE FROM NUBARASHEN: PRINCIPAL OF BOARDING SCHOOL NO11 DISMISSED
ArmInfo
2010-06-01 11:53:00
ArmInfo. Armenian Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan has
dismissed Principal of the Nubarashen Boarding School No11 Meruzhan
Yengibaryan.
To recall, in April-June 2008 a number of public activists participated
in the UN Project "Ten Best Schools" when the Boarding School No.11
was monitored as well. Monitoring revealed a series of shortcomings:
poor quality of catering, poor sanitation, and brutal treatment to
children. In addition, some students were forced to carry out hard
work in the land lots and houses of the school leadership.
The cases of sexual harassment of minors by their teacher Levon Avagyan
received wide public response. Pupils who suffered sexual abuse say
they had repeatedly complained to the Principal but the latter did
nothing to help them. On May 24 Levon Avagyan was sentenced to 2 years
of imprisonment (Article 142 part 2 - sexual abuse of minors). At
once 5 girls at the age of 12-14 suffered from Avagyan's actions.
"What has happened was inevitable" Mariam Sukhudyan, a witness in the
case, told ArmInfo when commenting on M. Yengibaryan's dismissal. To
recall, on Nov 13 2008 the Armenian Public Television program "Haylur"
reported of sexual abuse of certain D.A., a pupil of the Nubarashen
special school No.11, by her teacher Levon Avagyan. After the report,
the Erebuni Investigation Department accused Marian Sukhudyan,
participant in the monitoring of the given school, the well-known
activist of the green Movement, instead of the actual guilty party.
She was charged with Article 135 part 1 of the Criminal Code of Armenia
(slander), then with Article 333 part 2 point 3 (false denunciation
for illicit gain) and then again with Article 135. Later all these
charged were removed.
"Yengibaryan had been forging documents for several years making
children with normal mental abilities study at his special school.
This is not just corruption, but a crime. Now thanks to Minister
Armen Ashotyan's order, the pupils having no problems with mental
development will no longer study at Nubarashen school," she said.
She highlighted that the girls who had suffered sexual abuse by L.
Avagyan uselessly asked M. Yengibaryan for help in the period of 20
years. Yengibaryan seems to be a silent complicit in the crime. We
condemn his position and demand the law-enforcement authorities to
initiate criminal proceedings on the existing documents," Mariam
Sukhudyan said.
She recalled that Yengibaryan gave false testimonies during the
proceedings launched against her earlier. He told the court that she
made allegations against Levon Avagyan after failing to get a bribe
in the amount of one million drams.
"He slandered and made pupils give false testimonies against me. All
this makes me think that a criminal group operated in the school from
the very beginning and did its best to conceal the truth. The law-
enforcement must exert maximum efforts to find the members of that
group and bring them responsible. Soft punishments or impunity will
give birth to new crimes," she said.
From: A. Papazian
ArmInfo
2010-06-01 11:53:00
ArmInfo. Armenian Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan has
dismissed Principal of the Nubarashen Boarding School No11 Meruzhan
Yengibaryan.
To recall, in April-June 2008 a number of public activists participated
in the UN Project "Ten Best Schools" when the Boarding School No.11
was monitored as well. Monitoring revealed a series of shortcomings:
poor quality of catering, poor sanitation, and brutal treatment to
children. In addition, some students were forced to carry out hard
work in the land lots and houses of the school leadership.
The cases of sexual harassment of minors by their teacher Levon Avagyan
received wide public response. Pupils who suffered sexual abuse say
they had repeatedly complained to the Principal but the latter did
nothing to help them. On May 24 Levon Avagyan was sentenced to 2 years
of imprisonment (Article 142 part 2 - sexual abuse of minors). At
once 5 girls at the age of 12-14 suffered from Avagyan's actions.
"What has happened was inevitable" Mariam Sukhudyan, a witness in the
case, told ArmInfo when commenting on M. Yengibaryan's dismissal. To
recall, on Nov 13 2008 the Armenian Public Television program "Haylur"
reported of sexual abuse of certain D.A., a pupil of the Nubarashen
special school No.11, by her teacher Levon Avagyan. After the report,
the Erebuni Investigation Department accused Marian Sukhudyan,
participant in the monitoring of the given school, the well-known
activist of the green Movement, instead of the actual guilty party.
She was charged with Article 135 part 1 of the Criminal Code of Armenia
(slander), then with Article 333 part 2 point 3 (false denunciation
for illicit gain) and then again with Article 135. Later all these
charged were removed.
"Yengibaryan had been forging documents for several years making
children with normal mental abilities study at his special school.
This is not just corruption, but a crime. Now thanks to Minister
Armen Ashotyan's order, the pupils having no problems with mental
development will no longer study at Nubarashen school," she said.
She highlighted that the girls who had suffered sexual abuse by L.
Avagyan uselessly asked M. Yengibaryan for help in the period of 20
years. Yengibaryan seems to be a silent complicit in the crime. We
condemn his position and demand the law-enforcement authorities to
initiate criminal proceedings on the existing documents," Mariam
Sukhudyan said.
She recalled that Yengibaryan gave false testimonies during the
proceedings launched against her earlier. He told the court that she
made allegations against Levon Avagyan after failing to get a bribe
in the amount of one million drams.
"He slandered and made pupils give false testimonies against me. All
this makes me think that a criminal group operated in the school from
the very beginning and did its best to conceal the truth. The law-
enforcement must exert maximum efforts to find the members of that
group and bring them responsible. Soft punishments or impunity will
give birth to new crimes," she said.
From: A. Papazian