The body of Liza Fomkina, a four-year-old who went missing after going to walk her two dogs with her disabled aunt, was found this morning. The aunt’s body was found yesterday. The dogs have also been found. It was one of the dogs that lead rescuers to Liza’s body.
Preliminary reports suggest that both the aunt and the little girl died of exposure after getting lost in the woods.
They went missing on September 13.
The aunt most definitely died before the girl.
The little girl was left to die with the dog by her side.
This is Orekhovo-Zuevo we’re talking about here, this is the Moscow region, this is not some boundless taiga.
I’ve been reading a lot of comments on this, and a lot of LiveJournal reports by the people who volunteered at the scene, and it’s hard to hold back tears.
According to RIA Novosti – “the main efforts to find the missing were conducted by volunteers and neighbours.”
The word-choice of the actual volunteers are, as you might imagine, much less diplomatic.
Because this is the SAME DAMN THING that we saw when there were fires in Russia this summer. Volunteers reaching out. Neighbours helping neighbours. All good, all laudable efforts – but where in the hell are the people whose JOBS it is to save little girls like Liza? Yes, 80 officials were involved in the search, but according to numerous eyewitness reports, bureaucratic nonsense cost valuable time. Apathy cost valuable time. Equipment was not immediately available. Unconfirmed reports suggest that a team with search-dogs was held up for an inexcusable amount of time because of a JURISDICTION ISSUE.
Meanwhile, two people were dying, alone. They were hungry and cold and frightened. They were no more than 80 kilometres away from Moscow proper.
One of the comments I read today will probably stick with me for the rest of my life: “We are being ground to bits, to fertilize the gardens on the dachas of The Elite.”
Forgive us, little girl.
Natalia A. 
shocking.
And infuriating. There are now petitions circulating. I hope they do some good.
A commiserative rant on Russian bureaucracy coming from my corner of the world would sound more judgemental than I have a right to be.
My sympathies go out to the little girl, her aunt, and the friends and family who will miss them.