After an infant starved to death in Odesa region, the head of the children’s services department was served with a suspicion notice

The head of the local Children’s Services in Odesa Oblast has been notified of suspicion of official negligence that led to a person’s death. The case concerns the death of a one-month-old boy from severe malnutrition. The Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office has asked the court to remand the official in custody and suspend her from her post. According to gp.gov.ua.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the head of the service knew that the children in the family were at risk but failed to ensure their protection in time.

Problems with the children’s care were identified during an inspection in June 2025: their 23-year-old mother was not properly caring for her three young sons. Later, she stopped allowing social workers into her home.

The Commission for the Protection of Children’s Rights adopted a binding decision to place the boys temporarily with a foster family. Investigators say the head of the service failed to implement it in time.

In March 2026, the woman gave birth to her fourth son. The child was left without adequate food, care, or medical supervision. When the boy was one month old, he was taken to hospital, but doctors were unable to save him.

According to investigators, the death was caused by severe malnutrition and developmental delay. The infant had no illnesses or congenital conditions that could have led to his death. Adequate nutrition and care could have saved the child.

The three older brothers were removed from the family only after the youngest boy’s death. They are now living with a foster family.

A separate case is being heard against the children’s mother, who is suspected of maliciously neglecting her childcare duties. The woman is under 24-hour house arrest.

We previously reported:

• Three children urgently removed from families in Mykolaiv due to a threat to their lives
• Mykolaiv: family caring for 9 children takes in 5 more siblings removed from their family, adding to the 4 children already in its care
• A 10-month-old baby dies in Odesa: teenage parents left him alone
• Children may literally be “taken to Senkevych”: Mykolaiv is critically short of foster families
• 17-year-old mother left her baby alone in an apartment for four days: the child miraculously survived