A relative of a nuclear expert claimed that her mother was institutionalized in a psychiatric facility for the purpose of securing a dwelling in a residence reminiscent of "The Irony of Fate."
Title: Elderly Woman Detained Against Her Will: The Struggle of a Family in Russia
Subtitle: A Tale of Exploitation, Injustice, and Hope
Ludmila Boboleva has been persistently pleading with authorities for over a month, striving for the release of her 80-year-old mother from a psychiatric facility. She alleges that "unscrupulous real estate agents," often referred to as "black realtors," are targeting her family's three-bedroom apartment on Prospekt Vernadskogo.
The Perplexing Passport Mystery
On April 15, an enigmatic character mysteriously appeared, whisked my mother away, leaving our family in distress, asserts Boboleva. My father, 79, was peacefully sleeping in the adjacent room and was oblivious to the commotion. We spent nearly a day in the dark, unaware of her whereabouts. On the following day, after an intense search, I discovered that she was hospitalized in one of the psychiatric hospitals. My mother has never received psychiatric care before. Yes, she shows signs of memory loss due to her age, but her care is handled diligently by our family, ensuring she doesn't venture out alone since 2022.
According to Ludmila, she faced challenges when attempting to discuss matters with the hospital's chief doctor or see her mother.
I was rudely escorted out by security. Defeated, I returned the following day to file a kidnapping report. Relief finally came on April 21 when I was granted access to my mother. Tearful and longing for home, she was adamant about returning to her family. To our astonishment, we found out that a mobile court session to involuntarily commit her had taken place the same day, bypassing the usual legal processes and procedures.
Boboleva finds the situation peculiar. As relatives, she wasn't alerted about the court session. An elderly woman was provided a "state-appointed" attorney who did not contest the involuntary commitment. Furthermore, there seems to be confusion regarding her mother's passport.
The documents specify that her passport is held by the hospital, yet it remains securely in our possession., Boboleva exclaims, bewildered.
IMAGES: The house on Prospekt Vernadskogo, 113, a residence famed for its appearance in Eldar Ryazanov's 1975 film "Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!"
The Infamous House on Prospekt Vernadskogo, 113
Intriguingly, the apartment building where the Bobolevs reside has historical significance. Prospekt Vernadskogo, No. 113, a 16-story panel building erected in 1970, played a pivotal role in Eldar Ryazanov's 1975 film "Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!" as Nadya Shvedova's Leningrad apartment. A plaque on the wall commemorates this.
"My grandfather, a prominent nuclear physicist, Vasily Konstantinovich Bobolev, was allocated this apartment," Ludmila shares. Vasily Bobolev was a renowned Soviet nuclear scientist who worked on classified projects and coordinated two nuclear centers. He received numerous awards, including the Stalin Prize, the Order of Lenin, and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. After his demise, his son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter continued to reside in the apartment.
"Previously, it was a well-regarded dwelling, occupied primarily by esteemed scientists, actors, and pilots," she reminisces. "However, in recent years, it has become a living nightmare..."
It appears that the Bobolevs have been embroiled in disagreements with their neighbors since 2019. Neighbors have lodged complaints regarding the presence of eight dogs and several cats in the three-bedroom apartment, causing continual disturbances and unpleasant aromas. Eventually, the animals were removed following a court order, leading to the eviction of the apartment's owner. Nonetheless, Ludmila insists that there was insufficient evidence to warrant her mother's hospitalization, as she grapples with dementia but poses no threat to others and receives proper care from her family, who ensure she takes her prescribed medications.
Will the Authorities Intervene?
While residing in the psychiatric facility, threats have surfaced that the apartment may be seized and auctioned off. The Bobolevs desire to relocate but cannot sell the apartment as long as Ludmila's mother, one of the owners, remains hospitalized.
I recently visited her; she yearns to return to her family. However, she is being kept in a ward designated for bedridden patients, despite not actually being bedridden.
The Bobolevs have lodged complaints with the Southern Administrative District Prosecutor's Office, the Investigative Committee, the police, and various other authorities. To date, they have only received confirmation that their concerns are being assessed.
I am deeply concerned that under the influence of medication, a person may be convinced to agree to anything, such as a lifelong rental contract or other documentation, remarks Ludmila. Meanwhile, I am being subjected to pressure to declare my mother incapacitated and admit my father to the hospital as well...
Incidentally, a three-bedroom apartment on Vernadsky Prospekt hovers around the 30-million-ruble ($419,100 USD) mark.
It's worth mentioning that similar incidents may occur in the broader context of exploitation by malicious real estate agents. Investigations have uncovered collusion between psychiatrists and "black realtors" to seize apartments from the elderly and vulnerable in other parts of Russia.
IMPORTANT!
Understanding Involuntary Hospitalization
By law, there are three circumstances under which a person may be involuntarily hospitalized before a court decision:
- The individual poses an immediate threat to themselves or others.
- The person is unable to meet their fundamental needs, such as if they are lying in a state of extreme depression, failing to eat or drink on their own.
- A specialist observes that the person requires psychiatric assistance as their mental state is deteriorating.
Who can request a doctor?
Notably, even strangers can summon an ambulance, for example, if they notice a person in distress on the street. Ultimately, the dispatcher will determine whether to send a regular first-response team or a psychiatric emergency unit. The arriving team will then evaluate whether hospitalization in a psychiatric facility is necessary. By law, a person can only be restrained involuntarily for two days without a court decision and relevant documentation.
An Overview of Previous Cases
In Moscow, a psychiatrist was discovered to be a member of a criminal enterprise of "black realtors"
In 2018, a dastardly criminal syndicate of "black realtors," operating in Moscow for approximately six years, was convicted. A woman who had worked as a caregiver for the elderly for a considerable period was the mastermind. She devised a strategy to coerce elderly individuals with dementia into signing documents for their apartments, with the psychiatrist actively assisting the criminals. The ringleader was sentenced to 16 years in prison, while the "brain doctor" received 4.5 years.
Previously, a similar incident occurred in St. Petersburg.
In a similar scenario, a 31-year-old psychiatrist was also implicated in a similar criminal group operating in St. Petersburg, facilitating the illegal seizure of five apartments.
In 2020, on Sakhalin, a psychiatrist was jailed for four years for swindling the apartment of an elderly patient and pocketing the proceeds.
COMMENTARY
"Driving a person to 'white fever' and then calling in psychiatrists"
Lawyer Vadim Bagaturia, a former prosecutor's office investigator,
On several occasions, I encountered similar complaints as an investigator. In reality, verifying whether the person was under observation before and ensuring the involuntary commitment was lawful is achievable. In reality, the method of committing someone to a psychiatric hospital to seize their apartment is not particularly effective. "Black realtors" would prefer to maintain control over the property until it is securely in their hands. Oftentimes, they engage in other strategies, explains Bagaturia. He shares an instance where, as a lawyer, he helped a woman reclaim her father's apartment. The "black realtors" targeted her father, who had a specific diagnosis known to them. They drugs and alcohol, left him in a controversial village for weeks, and called for an emergency psychiatric team when he was on the brink of mental collapse. Yet, with persistent effort, they were able to secure his release and employed court testimony to restore his property rights, despite the apartment being already sold.*
- The ongoing struggle of Ludmila Boboleva and her family raises concerns about the misuse of science, particularly mental health therapies and treatments, as a means to exploit elderly individuals like her mother for the purpose of seizing real estate, such as their apartment on Prospekt Vernadskogo.
- As Russia grapples with incidents of unscrupulous real estate agents, often referred to as "black realtors," manipulating mental health care systems to illegally acquire properties from the elderly and vulnerable, it is essential to prioritize health-and-wellness and mental-health care while upholding legal standards and ensuring that the rights of elderly citizens are protected.
