Everybody knew, but kept silent: Estonia’s “Mother of the Year” is called a women’s home: horrible facts

The charges include repeated hitting of the hands and feet and locking them in the room for hours or even days, Eesti Päevaleht writes.

Mr. Kobin has been a patron since the 20th century. in the 1990s. On the island of Hyjuma, she is famous for being an authoritarian and domineering woman who organized children’s camps and tutor training, published rus.delfi.ee.

One of his former pupils says that half the people of Hyjuma adore Kobin and the other half hate her. One side knows that children are being abused in the family and the other side does not.

Hyjum residents also claim that many knew about the woman’s behavior. By the way, she did not hide too much that she locks the children in the room for a few hours, but no one took any action, she was afraid of her. Everyone who interviewed Eesti Päevaleht admitted that they were surprised when Kobin was voted mother of the year.

People also say that Ms Kobin clearly distinguished her five biological children from the wards, of whom there were up to 17 in her family at the same time. The beating didn’t mention anything.

The wards could not tell anyone what was happening at home, as Mr. Kobin was also present at all meetings with the staff of the Service for the Protection of Children’s Rights. Furthermore, the children were brought in from other municipalities in mainland Estonia, so Hyjuma employees were not legally responsible for them.

Beating for every mistake

When Ms. Kobin was named Mother of the Year in 2013, she admitted that she would have achieved nothing without the help of her husband Leo. According to ward Marilyn (name changed), it is true that when Ms. Kobin could no longer hit her, she ordered her husband to continue. The girl was in pain while sitting at school because her buttocks were constantly bruised.

Kobin himself commented to Eesti Päevaleht that such statements are fictitious, because children, especially wards, cannot be punished, much less physically. He said of the girl that she was constantly stealing, stealing all the bank cards. She did not want to add anything else and helped the receiver.

The Kobin family adopted Marilyn nearly two decades ago when she was just seven years old. She lived with them for 10 years, during which time she was punished for all possible misdemeanors: if she didn’t get back from school on time, she got a bad grade, didn’t do housework well enough.

“Malle hit me with a birch baton and a belt, and when she couldn’t, she told her husband to carry on,” says Marilyn. According to the girl, most of the punishments were imposed on Malle, and the man was calmer, but below his floor. The scurvy girl had to cut herself from the birch that grew in the garden.

Marilyn was beaten 10 years ago before the specified period in the case brought by Mr. Kobin by the prosecution, but the methods of punishment have not changed. She claimed to have had to stand in one place for 10 to 12 hours, and the caregiver kept coming to make sure the girl was not sitting.

It is true that they beat her only with her hands, not with her feet, but as punishment they told her to wash in a cold barn.

Mr. Kobin also punished his biological children, but not as severely as adopted children. There were so many punishments that the girl had to deal with a false brother to blame in turn.

“The body just couldn’t take your punishments,” says Marilyn. He does not understand why some of Mr. Kobin’s pupils claim that there was no beatings.

Money warmed up the motherhood instinct

Marilyn felt that she had been adopted only for the money paid by the state and the housework that was up to her neck. According to the girl, she was only allowed to go to the kitchen and never to the living room or watch television. She needed to get into her room through the back door. Marilyn cooked for her and ate alone in her room, not at the table with the family.

In addition, the girl went to school all year in the same clothes that she washed by hand on weekends. When they told him at school what was happening at home, the teachers didn’t believe it; Even before Marilyn started school, Kobin described everyone as a difficult girl who lies and steals. Marilyn herself swears she never stole.

Before the girl came of age, Ms. Kobin informed the municipality in charge that Marilyn had bitten her and that she wanted to get rid of her. When a child reaches the age of majority, caregivers no longer receive benefits, Marilyn emphasized. Had to move into an SOS youth home.

After reading the news of the case presented by Mr. Kobin, Marilyn immediately contacted the police, but unfortunately the investigation had already been suspended. According to her, the police officers could not find all the rooms in Kobin.

Hemli (name changed), a Hyjuma resident, also believes that Mr. Kobin adopted the children solely for money. “Why then adopt children with severe disabilities? Because you pay more for them,” he said.

At her workplace, Hemli interacted with one of Mr. Kobin’s pupils who had a mental disorder. According to the woman, the boy told her that as punishment they would lock him in a dark basement or tell him to remain naked in front of other children.

Meanwhile, Ms Kobin kept telling her co-workers how bad their children were, the woman recalled. “But educated like that will be good,” Hemli said.

The children wanted to escape

When asked if any of Mr. Kobin’s wards remained in Hyjumaa, Hemli replied that he thought none of them would want to be here while Mr. Kobin was on the run. According to her, one of the wards immediately fled as soon as she turned 18, she did not even withdraw her salary at work.

The teenager wanted a bicycle and Mr. Kobin told him to “go and earn money” even though he was getting paid for it.

Terje, a teacher working in Hyjuma (name changed), taught one of M. Kobin’s pupils for two years when he was a teenager. The woman claimed that the child gave off a terrible stench because he did not wash and came to school every day in the same clothes. When Terje called the caregivers, Ms Kobin said that it was none of her business, that the boy had to wash his own clothes.

The 13-year-old could not trust anyone at home, so the teachers opened his heart. He said that he once lost clothes in the washing machine and was forced to wash bedding by hand as punishment. He also said that the caretaker did not allow more than two potatoes to be eaten during lunch. The boy seemed exhausted and constantly wanted to eat.

He was diagnosed with a mental disorder and assigned a disability. Terje also believes that the Kobinai family specifically adopted these children in order to obtain more money from the state and to be able to use them as unpaid labor.

The boy revealed to Terje that if he did not take medicine in the morning, he would later be told to stay by the window for 8 to 10 hours without food or water. Terje recalled once telling him that she had been on her feet for a few hours every day for two weeks. Once the boy took the candy from the table in his house, the guardian found it a thief.

The boy wanted to escape. “He came out of the house with a backpack full of clothes and asked,” Do you know what abandoned house I could live in? “Remember Terje.

On Monday, the Pärnu district court convicted Mr. Kobin, 68, a mother in 2013, and sentenced him to a royal custodial sentence.

Kolbin will have to spend four years and six months behind bars. The district court found Mr. Kolbin guilty of unlawful deprivation of liberty and bodily injury to minors.

As previously reported by the ERR news portal, Kobin’s lawyer tried to have his client fully acquitted.

The woman did not admit her guilt either.

The trial was closed to protect the privacy of the victims.