A female student in Novosibirsk was taken hostage by supermarket employees. She was kept in the back room for 5 hours without contact or calling her family. At this time, her parents, concerned neighbors and volunteers of the search company Lisa Alert were looking for the girl. It turns out the case is about stolen candy. The child couldn't resist and took the candy from the open counter. Reporter MK found out what the supermarket employee's correct actions were.
A normal supermarket “near home”. Now they look the same in every major city. Almost everywhere has a candy retail department. Same – with selling nuts and fruits by weight. Buyers scurried between the rows, no, no, even grabbing a nut or a small berry. Well, it's like a trial, like in the market. We don't buy sour fruit, we buy ripe fruit and many other varieties. Same with sweets. Even adults sometimes can't resist putting one in their pocket to try. Especially after a day of work, eating on the way home, carrying grocery bags. Is this considered theft? Formally, yes. And if it's not intimate, in a friendly way, then it doesn't feel like theft. After all, you will finally be able to buy the candy you like. And you come here every day. And no one seems to see it. Or does he still see it?
The incident at the Novosibirsk store happened during the day. A 10-year-old female student was coming home from school and went into a store. There she was detained and charged with theft. To clarify the situation, they invited me into the back room. They asked me to call my parents. The girl doesn't have a phone number; She couldn't remember her mother's phone number. Police were called to the scene. People in uniform, as store employees told the media, waited for five hours. All this time the child was in the utility room without contact.
What is this situation like for the mother of a female student? After school, she called her daughter but no one picked up. The worried woman called her family: it turned out that the girl had not yet gone to school. Mom, very worried, looked at the electronic diary. He saw that his daughter had skipped school after school. Where is she? He wrote to his homeroom teacher: “Are there any extracurricular activities?” The answer he received was that the children were all away and there were no extracurricular activities. What should she do? She writes to the house chat. Have you seen your daughter in the yard, entrance, next to the house? The neighbors started to panic.
A search of the area began. The child has been gone for 5 hours. From the chat, the message will be transferred to Lisa Alert. Search engines are joining the search. And now the long-awaited: “Found. Alive.”
Mom went into the back room and prepared to destroy the entire store. She is stressed and writes a statement about illegal detention. And she can be understood.
While preparing the ingredients, MK contacted his neighbors. Novosibirsk residents said that at this store, employees often apply strange anti-theft methods.
– My mother accidentally punched the line. This also happened one day, in early October. The next time she went to the store, she was also taken into the back room and shown the camera footage. She was shocked. She is 60 years old and retired. But then the staff said that if she paid 20 thousand they would not write a statement to the police. Mom replied that she had no money. After that, the security guard offered to go home with her to get her phone. So they did. Security guards even entered the apartment. Then my mother paid for everything. The employee requested to sign a settlement agreement. Furthermore, in a copy. For some reason, they took a photo of my mother and then left,” MK's interlocutor said.
Another resident of Novosibirsk, also a mother, told MK that her daughter was detained in the same way.
“However, this store employee arrested my daughter and her friend in the same way for taking rice balls to bet. They informed me that until I arrived, they did not let me go. When I arrived, I paid them the fine at the cashier, took my child to take care of it at home. Luckily, my daughter had a phone so they informed me very quickly.
The woman was sure that the employees also wanted to take money from the girl's mother.
On the topic of theft, MK spoke with lawyer Anatoly Korovin.
– Employees do not have the right to refuse. Children can call their parents to pay for candy. There is no discussion of any administrative or criminal liability.
Liability for theft begins at the age of 14. Up to 2000 rubles – administrative, higher – criminal. If they restrain the child, they themselves could be prosecuted. Mom did the absolutely right thing in writing a statement. If an adult steals, compensation for damages can only be equal to the amount of money the stolen item is worth. Demanding 20 thousand and any amount exceeding the price of the goods is extortion.
