Russian authorities are searching for influencer Anna Saparina after an Instagram video showed her apparently vacuum-sealing her son inside a plastic bag while he cried. The clip, captioned "When I was on my third week of sick leave," reportedly originated in Saratov and continued to circulate after Saparina made her account private. The Interior Ministry registered a report and investigators have spoken to the child’s grandmother as they work to clarify the circumstances.
Police Seek Russian Influencer After Viral Video Appears to Show Her Vacuum-Sealing Son in Plastic Bag
Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via GettyStock image of police car in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Russian police are searching for influencer Anna Saparina after a video she posted on Instagram appeared to show her vacuum-sealing her young son inside a large plastic bag while he screamed.
Saparina, described in Russian media as a blogger, uploaded the clip earlier this week to an account that had nearly 2,000 followers before it was set to private. In the footage — which continued to circulate online after being posted — she appears to remove air from the bag while the child cries. The post was captioned, "When I was on my third week of sick leave," according to RIA Novosti.
Official Response
Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs said officers discovered the recording while monitoring the internet and registered a report after the footage suggested a possible unlawful action against a minor. The ministry said the incident reportedly occurred in the city of Saratov and that the woman filmed the clip for publication on her social media accounts.
"While monitoring the internet, a video recording was discovered showing possible unlawful actions by a woman against her minor son," the ministry's translated statement said. "The report stated that the incident occurred in the city of Saratov, and that the woman was filming the video for publication on her social media accounts. The information was duly registered. Police are currently determining the woman's whereabouts to clarify all the circumstances of the incident."
RIA Novosti reported that a law enforcement source told investigators they had spoken with Saparina's mother. The mother reportedly confirmed the child in the video was her grandson and told authorities that Saparina had been living in Moscow for the last three to four years.
Saparina's Instagram account is now private. People magazine reported that Saparina did not respond to a request for comment.
Local investigators say the case has been registered and that they are working to establish the full facts surrounding the footage.
