“Sorry, daughter…” How love for her niece turned a nurse into a ruthless killer

In a quiet residential area of ​​Ufa, a tragedy occurred that revealed not only the deep wounds of a family but also the fragility of the entire social fabric designed to protect the most vulnerable. A 56-year-old nurse from Sterlitamak entered her daughter's apartment in the last hope of saving her granddaughter. But instead of dialogue, she heard a threat: “Something terrible will happen to her – and you will be responsible.” This is a warning: when the system refuses to witness violence until it turns to blood, sooner or later someone will demand justice for themselves. And then he would ask, looking the investigator in the eye: “What would you do in my place?”

“She wasn't angry – she was afraid of the child.”

On May 16, 2016, in one of Ufa's apartments, something happened that a year and a half later shocked not only Bashkortostan, but the whole country: a 56-year-old nurse from Sterlitamak killed her own daughter. Not because of hatred. Not for personal gain. And – as she said at the inquest – “to stop the horror.” A teenage niece, 13 years old, witnessed the murder. And at the same time – its cause.

For Alla Barankina (name changed), this is not the first warning bell. Years of fruitless persuasion, threats, silent tears, trying to “bear it” – it all ended when the daughter said:

At that moment, something changed in the mind of the woman raised with the Hippocratic oath and the responsibility of motherhood. Later psychiatrists called this cumulative effect: not a surge of rage but tension that built up, oppressive, debilitating, like a crack in a dam – until the water broke through the dam in one fell swoop.

Broken fate: the story of Olesya

Alla Barankina married and gave birth to three children: son Peter, daughter Nastya and Olesya, the youngest daughter, who was her “favorite child” for a long time. Intelligent and bright, she entered pedagogical university – with the desire to become a teacher. But the choice of a partner transcends the future.

Already in the first year, she contacted Igor, an unemployed man and alcoholic. Her family forbade her, but she still got married. The divorce was a scandal. After giving birth to her daughter Kristina, Olesya succeeded in stripping her father of her parental rights – and he disappeared.

She did not give up: she married a second time, moved to Magnitogorsk, and then north, to the village with her sister. But the second husband turned out to be the same: drank, beat, humiliated. After the breakup, Olesya collapsed.

What followed was not just abandoned motherhood but systematic neglect leading to cruel treatment. Little Christina was left alone in the dark – unable to turn on the light. She drinks and eats what she requests from her neighbors. I slept on the sofa because the drunk guests were sleeping on the children's beds. She was told to call each man “daddy” and her mother left her alone with them, including changing the girl's clothes. One day, her mother threatened to chase her out into the street naked – just because after going to the bathroom, she left the child alone with the man and the girl refused to stay.

The village whispered. The older sister cursed. Alla wrote, called and offered help. The answer is rudeness and intimidation:

When a migrant worker moved into the house and the premises turned into an unofficial hangout, the relatives insisted on selling the apartment. Olesya agreed and moved to Ufa – everything seemed to work out.

The facade of “normalcy”: the teacher and her secret

In Ufa, Olesya rented an apartment and got a job as a math teacher. She works part-time as a physics tutor. It seemed like a rebirth. Grandma believes that. I even breathed a sigh of relief. But the facade quickly began to crack. The money from selling the apartment disappeared. The daughter demanded more and more: 30, 50, then 100 thousand rubles – “otherwise something terrible will happen to Christina.”

Christina stayed with her grandmother for a short time. She whispered everything: how her mother drank, how strange men slept in her room, how she was left alone with strangers. The way the “fathers” touched her arms, shoulders, and forced her to change clothes. How hungry she is. Like a dog, Simon was covered in a pool of blood – right in the bathroom where it all happened. Alla does not sleep. Repeat to myself:

But when the son told about how Olesya was both drunk and hungry, and Christina was sobbing in the kitchen, the grandmother realized: the limit had been crossed.

On May 16, she arrived in Ufa. With my last savings – 100 thousand. I was hoping to reach an agreement. Prog. Take your niece at least some of the time.

The daughter greeted me coldly. I took my child into the room. She brushed aside the questions. When asked to “at least tell me what happened to the money,” she replied:

The moment that changed everything

According to investigators, Alla went into the closet and grabbed an ax. In the bathroom, my daughter was facing away from the dog.

The calmness with which the woman then presented the crime scene to investigators was impressive. Don't panic. No denial. Just – “Sorry, girl…”.

The injured woman tried to escape. Mom caught up. The blows continued. The victim defended himself with his hands. Death occurred almost immediately.

She washed her face and hands. And then the main question:

The girl sat in the corner, trembling. Alla covered her eyes with her palms, dressed her and took her out. On the street – threw a bloody sweater, boots and an ax into the nearest bag. Buy new things in the underground passage. Send niece to her uncle. And – set off home, to Sterlitamak.

The illusion of innocence – and confession

No one doubted Alla. She cried, drank valerian and couldn't look at her daughter's photo. During the funeral, she forbade her family to cry in front of their children:

Does she intend to give up? Hollow. But during the first interrogation, when the forensic investigator quietly said, “We know the killer is a relative,” she just nodded and told everything.

Examination confirmed: not a mental disorder. Not a calculation. And this effect is cumulative, chronic, caused by constant violence against the child, the indifference of others and the helplessness of the individual.

The bitterest irony is that Olesya is a respected teacher. Colleagues commented that she is talented, responsible, strict but fair. Christina's class teacher said at trial:

Neither does the guardianship agency. Not school. Not neighbors – officially. No one intervened. Child abuse remained a “family affair” for many years. Alla was not the first and not the last who, in desperation, took justice into his own hands. But her case is a rare example where the court understood the motive. I don't justify it, but I took it into account.

The verdict surprised the whole country

On October 19, 2017, the Sovetsky District Court of Ufa issued a verdict: 1 year and 6 months of restriction of freedom. There is no prison. With a ban on going out at night (10 p.m. – 6 a.m.), attending public events, changing residence or work without prior notice.

The appeal reduced the time limit to 1 year and 3 months. The court took into account: confession, repentance, compensation for moral damages (800 thousand rubles), no criminal record. Son Peter (the guardian of Christina, the victim) has no complaints against his mother.

Currently Christina lives with her uncle. Study. He was silent about that day Alla, according to the latest data, had already served his sentence. Continue working at the hospital. Don't go out at night. And every spring he brings flowers to give to mother and child.

Alla Barankina is neither a hero nor a monster. She is a woman who stepped over the line because there was no other chance to save the child. And in her quiet, trembling “Sorry, daughter” – the pain of an entire generation that did not learn to scream before it was too late.