Mahiliou Amusement Park Manager Sentenced to 2.5 Years in an Open-Type Penal Colony Over Trainee’s Death

Reform.news Editorial Team · 16 October 2026, 10:14

https://reform.news/en/mahiliou-amusement-park-manager-sentenced-to-2-5-years-in-an-open-type-penal-colony-over-trainee-s-death/

The Kastrychnitski District Court of Mahiliou found a 25-year-old amusement park manager guilty of violating safety regulations, resulting in a person’s death through negligence.

The woman was sentenced to two years and six months in an open-type penal colony and barred from holding positions involving organisational and managerial responsibilities for five years.

The accident occurred on May 1 this year. An 18-year-old second-year college student was operating the “Salto” ride to earn extra money.

“The amusement park manager independently allowed a job applicant to work without an employment contract or a civil-law agreement. The young man had not undergone a medical examination, training, an internship, initial safety instruction or a knowledge assessment in industrial safety and occupational health,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

As a result, after the ride’s operating cycle ended, the young man failed to secure the counterweight with the locking mechanism. After the passengers had disembarked, the counterweight shifted. The young man suffered a fatal blow to the head.

“During the court hearing, the defendant fully admitted her guilt and sincerely repented of the violations she had committed,” the prosecutor’s office added.

The court also ordered the ride’s owner to pay 150,000 rubles in compensation for moral damage to the deceased’s mother.

The verdict has not yet entered into force and may be appealed or challenged through the appellate procedure.