The court sided with the large family from Tuapse in their dispute with officials.
The cassation court annulled the decisions of the courts that refused to oblige officials to provide the necessary nutrition for the daughter of a large family from Tuapse and sent the case for reconsideration. At the same time, the prosecutor's office refused to consider the couple's complaint.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on May 6, the Tuapse District Court refused to satisfy the claim of the large family of Tatyana Pimenova and Sergey Kartashov, who demanded that their daughter be provided with baby food. The court referred to the fact that by the time the case was considered, the girl had already reached the age of one year and four months and does not belong to the category of children under six months, who are entitled to such food. On August 5, Pimenova and Kartashov filed a cassation complaint with the Fourth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction and an appeal to the Attorney General. In the cassation complaint, the spouses indicated that the judge had effectively substituted himself for the pediatrician, "cancelling" the medical prescription. The dispute "has long gone beyond a few cans of baby formula" and concerns the attitude of officials towards children's rights, Pimenova explained to "Caucasian Knot".
The family of Tatyana Pimenova and Sergey Kartashov from Tuapse faced interruptions in the provision of specialized baby food for their newborn daughter. According to the parents, despite timely document processing and medical indications, the child did not receive the necessary food for several months. Instead of the 78 cans of free baby food, the girl received only 39. The prosecutor's office, to which the parents turned, did not see any violations in the situation. At the same time, the social protection department assured the spouses that "the period for providing specialized food products would be extended without a request".
The cassation instance satisfied the complaint, Tatyana Pimenova and Sergey Kartashov reported today to the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot". "We received a notification about this today, September 24, referring to the decision of the cassation instance from September 22. The court decided to send the case for reconsideration," said Tatyana Pimenova.
It is not easy to get from the authorities what is due by law
The child's father Sergey Kartashov joked that "the case with free food for the baby will probably be considered until the daughter comes of age." "It is not easy to get from the authorities what is due by law," he added.
As for the complaint to the Attorney General, the appeal was forwarded to the Tuapse prosecutor, who in turn redirected the complaint to the Ministry of Labor and Social Development. The parents explained that they also received a notification about this today, stating that "the prosecutor's office does not substitute other authorities".
The prosecutor forwarded our complaint to those we actually complained about
"That is, the prosecutor forwarded our complaint to those we actually complained about, and instead of taking prosecutorial measures, we were also advised not to contact them, but to fight the "lawbreakers" ourselves. If only they had indicated ways to fight, it would have been very relevant," Sergey Kartashov lamented.
When an official considers a complaint about his own response, the principle of independent review and the citizens' right to effective appeal are violated, lawyer Elena Pavlova previously pointed out. "This is a serious procedural violation. That is, prosecutors, who are supposed to monitor the enforcement of laws, themselves [commit violations]," she told "Caucasian Knot".
According to Kartashov, all legal means to fight for cans of milk for the child have been exhausted, and instead of a quick and adequate solution to the issue, the red tape is gaining momentum. However, the large parents consider it a matter of principle to win this "battle" for food for the infant, so that it becomes a precedent and helps other parents assert their rights.
Let's see what the Tuapse court will say this time
The parents note that despite the prosecutor's response from Tuapse, they were pleased with the decision of the cassation instance, which annulled the decisions of the two lower courts. "Although this is a terrible red tape, we are not in a hurry. Let's see what the same Tuapse court will say this time when the case returns for reconsideration," Tatyana Pimenova said.
Let us remind you that the youngest daughter of the spouses was born in 2025. With a low family income, children are guaranteed free specialized food in the Krasnodar Territory for the first six months of life: they are entitled to 78 cans of baby food, each costing about 500 rubles. However, according to Kartashov and Pimenova, their newborn daughter was shorted 39 cans of baby food. They had to go into debt for 20,000 rubles to feed the child for three months while they fought for the right to receive the food designated by the Tuapse District Social Protection Department in February 2025.