Young Boy's Mysterious Death in Atyrau: Police Closed Criminal Case

A mother in Atyrau has contested police findings on her 7th-grade son's drowning, an Orda correspondent reports.

Anargul Kasantayeva's son Merlan died last August in Aqjar village.

I demand that all eight children involved in my son's death be held accountable and their parents punished. The investigation closed the case, stating that it was not a deliberate crime. However, according to the children, Zhanuzak pushed Merlan with both hands into the Jaiyq River, says Kasantayeva.

Police maintain their decision: 

It was established that the person involved in the unintentional death had not reached the age of criminal liability. In connection with this, the criminal case was closed.

The family's lawyer, Asan Zhumabaev, argues for reclassification: 

The investigation should classify the crime under the article 'Intentional Homicide,' and not under Articles 20-104 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which consider it an accident. Everyone knew that the deceased could not swim and had undergone ear surgery. The case contains testimony from four witnesses who confirm this.

The Prosecutor's Office states they're still reviewing:

The investigation has not yet been completed; the prosecutor’s office is checking the legality of the investigator’s decision,
 the supervisory authority reported. 

Merlan, who dreamed of a career in law enforcement, was the family's youngest child.

Original Author: Daniel Arturov