A doctor who killed a four-year-old boy when he tore his throat during a routine procedure has been sentenced to two years' home jail.
Victim Sasha Dzhanelidze had been receiving treatment for pneumonia at Amur Regional Children's Clinical Hospital in Russia's Far East in 2023.
But an operation to use a bronchoscope to suck out a blockage of infected phlegm from his lungs went wrong when the surgeon used a rigid metal tube instead of flexible one.
Picture shows Sasha Dzhanelidze with his mother Karolina, undated. He died in the Amur Regional Children's Hospital, Russia, in May 2023. Note: Private photo taken from local media.(Newsflash/NX)
The metal cut into the top of Sasha's throat causing catastrophic bleeding, the Amur Regional Court heard on 6th May.
The youngster, who suffered from cerebral palsy, was rushed to the clinic's intensive care unit where he died just hours later.
Hospital officials had tried to hide the true cause of death claiming that Sasha had died from pneumonia and a complication caused by his cerebral palsy.
But an independent autopsy commission by his mother showed that Sasha had really choked to death on his own blood caused by the cut from the bronchoscope.
Picture shows Sasha Dzhanelidze with his mother Karolina, undated. He died in the Amur Regional Children's Hospital, Russia, in May 2023. Note: Private photo taken from local media.(Newsflash/NX)
Mum Karolina Dzhanelidze told the court that before he died he begged to be taken away from the ICU saying: "Mummy, take me away from here."
She added: "I should have taken him then, when he asked. I keep replaying that moment.
"I told him everything would be fine. But it wasn’t. And I wasn’t there when he died. That guilt never goes away."
Judges found the surgeon, who was not named in local media, guilty of causing death by negligence and ordered him to serve two years of restricted freedom.
Under Russian law the order means the medic will only be able to leave his home under curfew hours and only then to go to an agreed list of venues, including work.
The hospital was also ordered to pay Sasha's family RUB 500,000 (GBP 4,600) in compensation.
Picture shows Sasha Dzhanelidze with his mother Karolina and his little sister, undated. He died in the Amur Regional Children's Hospital, Russia, in May 2023. Note: Private photo taken from local media.(Newsflash/NX)
The judgement was delivered after a lengthy appeal process by the medic failed.
But he insisted: "I don’t agree with the verdict, we will appeal.
"I was worried that they would restrict my work, my medical activity.
"I believe that the child definitely did not die from my bronchoscopy."
Picture shows Sasha Dzhanelidze, undated. He died in the Amur Regional Children's Hospital, Russia, in May 2023. Note: Private photo taken from local media.(Newsflash/NX)
Mum Karolina who has been through 20 court hearings, said she was relieved by the conviction but disappointed that the doctor was not banned from medicine.
She said: "This wasn’t just a legal fight. It was my fight for Sasha. I needed them to say he mattered.
"I’m grateful the court found him guilty, but it still doesn’t feel like justice."
(MJ Leidig/newsX)