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Allegations of Russian beating death in elite squad

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Note: The last paragraph re waiver should be challenged in court. If the activity itself is coerced or has an element of negligence in itself, the wife
might expose the waiver for the sham it is–Moderator

Policeman killed in savage hazing for special forces

Today, 12:20 PM

The widow of a killed Russian police officer has demanded an investigation into his death: the man received fatal injuries in a brutal fight with seven other policemen. The fight was part of a savage hazing practice designed to test whether recruits were tough enough for top jobs with the police special forces.

Viktor Kritsenkov, 30 years old, was seeking employment at the elite “Bison” squadron, based in the Moscow Region.

As an unofficial entry test, the man had to stand at least several minutes of sparring against seven Bison officers at once, Life.ru reports.

In spite of his great physical strength, after the fight Kritsenkov had to be rushed to intensive care, where he died the next day.

His widow, Yekaterina, has demanded justice, saying that what happened to her husband was cold-blooded murder. She said that getting into the special forces was her husband’s dream.

An administrative investigation has been launched into the case, but the investigators say it will to be hard to launch a criminal case against the offenders. Such fights are quite frequent in Russia’s special forces.

“During such fights the participants are protected by gloves only,” a spokesman for the investigation committee said.

“That’s why before the sparring, all participants are warned of the danger and must sign a paper that relieves all other participants of responsibility in the event of an accident. By signing this paper, the man acknowledges he may receive serious injuries.”

By Hank Nuwer

Journalist Hank Nuwer tracks hazing deaths in fraternities and schools. Nuwer is the Alaska author of Hazing: Destroying Young Lives; Broken Pledges: The Deadly Rite of Hazing, High School Hazing, Wrongs of Passage and The Hazing Reader. In April of 2024, the Alaska Press Club awarded him first place in the Best Columnist division and Best Humorist, second place.

He has written articles or columns on hazing for the Sunday Times of India, Toronto Globe & Mail, Harper's Magazine, Orlando Sentinel, The Chronicle of Higher Education and the New York Times Sunday Magazine. His current book is Hazing: Destroying Young Lives from Indiana University Press. He is married to Malgorzata Wroblewska Nuwer of Warsaw, Poland and Fairbanks, Alaska. Nuwer is a former columnist for the Greenville (Ohio)Early Bird and former managing editor of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in Alaska.
Nuwer was named the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists columnist of the year in 2021 for his “After Darke” column in the Early Bird. He also won third place for the column in 2022 from the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He and his wife Gosia, recently of Union City, Ind., have owned 20 acres in Alaska for many years. “The move is a sort-of coming home for us,” said Nuwer. As a journalist, he’s written about the Alaskan Iditarod sled-dog race and other Alaska topics. Read his musings in his blog at Real Alaska Daily--http://realalaskadaily.com and in his weekly column "Far from Randolph" in the Winchester Star-Gazette of Randolph County, Indiana.

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