Teenager detained for slapping policeman's sculpture in Minsk
A shot from the video.
The police in Minsk drew up an administrative offence report in relation to a teenager who had slapped a street sculpture. The youngster offended the monument to the Russian Empire-era beat officer standing in front of the Interior Ministry headquarters but did not escape punishement, the Interior Ministry website proudly reported.
The incident happened at daylight on 14 November. The youngster slapped the monument on the head when passing nearby. He obviously could not have known the sculpture was monitored by a specially designated CCTV camera on the Interior Ministry headquarters' roof. The boy was immediately detained by a police patrol.
The offender is named Andrei and 16 years old. He a student of a Minsk lyceum. An administrative offence report was drawn up for 'petty hooliganism."
"I regret sincerely having done this, having showed disrespect to the history of the police force. I ask for forgiveness for my actions from all the police officers and this monument," the teenagers is seen on a video saying to a camera for the policemen.
In March 2017, anarchist Vyachaslau Kasinerau threw a noose on the sculpture's neck. The man was detained and locked for 10 days behind bars. A criminal case was opened on hooliganism charges. He eventually was sentenced to a fine.
On 28 June 2018, the policeman's statue was beautified with a flowerbed in LGBT colors. The organizers of the performance act in support of sexual minorities were also detained and spent one night behind bars. On the next day, they were sentenced to the relatively small fines.
