Homeschooling’s 

Invisible Children

Boy by Lyubov Korotkova

Content note: Case narratives include descriptions of severe violence inflicted on children, including abuse and neglect, sexual violence, torture, and murder, as well as mentions of suicide and domestic violence. They also include photos of victims and perpetrators of violence.

VK, an 11-year-old boy (pictured), was starved and medically abused by his foster mother, Lyubov Korotkova. VK was homeschooled. Korotkova also had an adult son who lived with them and an adult daughter.

Korotkova became VK’s foster mother and removed him from an orphanage in 2009 when he was 3 years old. For eight years, Korotkova habitually starved VK and gave him medication to make him sick so that she could fraudulently claim he was disabled, eventually collecting approximately $65,000 in disability benefits. Korotkova was seen by her neighbors as a hero for raising a disabled child, and when VK was rescued at first the neighbors staged a public campaign for VK’s return. Korotkova’s husband, Andrei, was unaware of the abuse.

The abuse was uncovered by doctor in May 2017. At that time 11-year-old VK weighed as much as a 4-year-old. Korotkova was sentenced to 6 years in prison for torture. VK’s psychologist was granted custody of him.

Date: May 2017
Location:
Magadan, Russia

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Documents: Date:
Skin and bones boy aged 11 rescued after weighing in at just 11 kg due to ‘food torture’ 05-18-2017
Russian foster mother is jailed for six years for starving and drugging orphaned boy, 11, who weighed just TWO STONE so she could claim £50k in sickness benefits payouts 03-17-2019
Russian Foster Mother Jailed for Starving and Drugging Boy to Collect Sickness Benefits 03-17-2019