Mother ‘threw daughter from window then jumped – but both survived’

A Russian mother allegedly threw her daughter from a ninth-floor window before jumping herself – but both mother and child survived the fall. 

The 21-year-old woman, who cannot be named, is accused of dropping her two-year-old child 88 feet from a block of flats in Ufa, southern Russia.  

She is said to have jumped herself after throwing her daughter, but both of them landed on a snowdrift and survived. 

The mother has been charged with attempted murder and faces up to five years in prison if she is found guilty.  

Child and mother: A Russian mother (pictured right being led into court) allegedly threw her daughter (pictured left) from a ninth-floor window before jumping herself 

According to the woman’s relatives, she was in a very bad mood on the day of the incident.

Her sister-in-law said: ‘She was very nervous and tense. She was throwing tantrums and shouting at me all morning.

‘We were getting ready for taking the child to a clinic for a routine medical examination and quarrelled in the process.

‘At one point I went to the kitchen leaving them [the mother and the toddler] in the bedroom alone and hoping she would calm down a bit.

‘Several minutes after, I came back and saw that the room was empty. I rushed to the open window, looked out and saw them both lying in the street.’

The relatives rushed to the scene and called emergency services.

Bakhtiar Galautdinov, who witnessed the scene, said: ‘The child landed her head first. Her head and body were in the snowdrift and only her legs were sticking out of it.

The 21-year-old mother, pictured left being led into court, is accused of dropping her child from the ninth-floor window (circled, right) of the block of flats in Ufa

The window from which the mother allegedly threw her daughter. After she left hospital she was charged with attempted murder

‘We pulled the toddler out of the snow carefully as the mother was lying beside and crying out in pain.’

The girl was rushed to hospital in the intensive care unit. The mother was hospitalised as well.

Health authorities spokeswoman Svetlana Kuskarbekova said: ‘The child was hospitalised in a severe condition. The mother got away with bruises and her health was not in danger.’

Doctors managed to save the toddler’s life. Her current condition is stable and her life is not in danger at the moment.

The mother was discharged from hospital several days after the incident. 

The sister-in-law said: ‘My niece is okay now. Her father will be taking care of her and the whole of our family will be helping him.

The family bedroom in the flat in Ufa. A relative said she had found the bedroom empty, looked out of the window and seen the mother and child lying in the street 

Soft landing: The spot where the mother and child were found after their fall. They landed on a snowdrift and both survived 

The toddler’s family said her father, pictured left, would be taking care of the girl. Bakhtiar Galautdinov, right, who witnessed the scene, said the child had landed head first in the snow

‘You have no idea what kind of shock we have experienced. My brother could not eat or sleep. He was praying for his child day and night.

‘I believe that they are going to be fine.’

After being discharged from hospital, the mother was arrested and charged with attempted murder of a minor.

An Investigative Committee spokesperson said: ‘The suspect was taken into custody. She is going to be sent for a mental examination soon. The investigation is ongoing.’

According to sister-in-law, her brother is going to divorce his wife for the attempt to kill their child.

She said: ‘They were together for three years. But my brother says he will never be able to forgive her [his wife] for the attempt to kill their child. He is going to divorce her.’