ECHR demands answers: Child killed by football goal in Moldova
The European Court of Human Rights has submitted two questions to the Moldovan Government concerning the death of a child crushed by a football goal.
Although 10 years have passed, the investigation into the child's death remains unresolved, and no one has been held accountable.
The Promo-LEX Association announced that on September 30, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) notified the Moldovan Government of the case "Ludmila Catruc v. the Republic of Moldova." This case concerns the alleged failure of Moldovan authorities to conduct an effective investigation into the accidental death of the applicant's son.
The ECHR addressed the following questions to the Government:
- Did the national authorities' criminal investigation in this case comply with the procedural obligations of Article 2 of the Convention (Right to life)? Did the available legal remedies ensure that the facts were established and those responsible were held accountable?
- Did the applicant have access to an effective domestic remedy for her complaints under Article 2, as required by Article 13 of the Convention (according to the case law in Scripnic v. the Republic of Moldova)?
On July 26, 2014, the applicant's nine-year-old son was playing football on a sports field with his brother and other boys. The frame of the football goal, which was not secured to the ground, fell on him, causing serious head injuries. Despite being rushed to the hospital, the child died 12 days later on August 7, 2014.
The boy's mother, Ludmila Catruc, subsequently filed a criminal complaint, and on August 11, 2014, a criminal case was filed against local officials for negligence in service. However, on March 15, 2015, the Criuleni Prosecutor's Office dropped the criminal charges, arguing that no one could be held criminally responsible for the child's death. Their arguments included that the football goals are movable to allow for multiple uses of the field and that there are no standards or requirements to secure them.
The applicant, dissatisfied with the decision, challenged it, and the court ordered the investigation to be reopened, finding that not all the factual and legal aspects of the case had been clarified. However, the investigation was drawn out, and at the time of filing the application with the ECHR, the investigation was still underway.
Lawyer Vadim Vieru, representing the Promo-LEX Association and the applicant, stated that it is unacceptable that after so many years, there is no concrete result of the investigation into the tragic death of a child. "The lack of diligence of the authorities in this case raises serious questions about the respect for the positive obligations of the state to protect the right to life. Moreover, the fact that there are no clear standards for ensuring the safety of sports equipment in public spaces is a serious deficiency."
He added that such cases are not isolated in the Republic of Moldova: "There have been similar incidents in which children have been injured or lost their lives due to unsafe infrastructure. It is essential that the authorities take concrete measures to prevent such tragedies. Ignoring these problems endangers the lives and safety of citizens, especially the most vulnerable among us – children.”
In April of this year, a seven-year-old child was hospitalised in serious condition at the Mother and Child Institute after a football goal from a stadium fell on him.
In 2023, two children, aged 15 and 16 respectively, lost their lives after being crushed by a football goal that collapsed on them.
The Minister of Health, Ala Nemerenco, previously appealed to local public authorities, schools, and other institutions that manage sports fields, including football, to check the safety of the installations.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
