Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
This is the moment a brave dad clings onto the bonnet of a travelling car for over 12 miles as his alcoholic ex-wife and her new husband attempt to kidnap his children.
The incident took place in the city of Sergiyev Posad in Russia’s Moscow Oblast on an unspecified date earlier this month (September 2021).
The video shows how Sergei Ivaniev, age not stated, jumps onto the bonnet of Andrei Belyaev’s car as he starts to drive away with Sergei’s two sons inside.
According to the news site ren.tv, Andrei, who is the boys’ stepfather, drove for some 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) with Sergei clinging onto the bonnet.
A court had revoked mother Natalya Belyaeva’s custody over the children last month (August 2021), due to her and Andrei’s drunken and violent behaviour towards the youngsters.
The boys, born in 2014 and 2015, were temporarily housed in an orphanage before custody was granted to Sergei, their father, and they were placed under his care.
The latest incident took place when Natalya and Andrei, ages not stated, decided to take the law into their own hands and get the children back, even though their custody had been revoked.
Footage filmed outside Sergei’s residence shows how he blocks the car’s path, but ends up jumping onto the bonnet when Andrei, who had lured the children into the vehicle, starts to drive away.
Natalya is also at the scene, and she can be seen getting into the car just before her new husband drives away with her and the youngsters.
Witnesses later told the authorities that the car travelled for some 20 kilometres with Sergei valiantly clinging onto the bonnet throughout.
The incident ended when he was finally thrown from the bonnet onto the ground and a fight ensued in which Andrei threatened him with an air gun.
Sergei was badly injured, suffering a broken head, bruises and cuts.
According to Sergei, his ex-wife and her new husband managed to escape with the children and went into hiding with them. The police were then alerted and a search for the four began.
According to ren.tv, the children were found the following day in circumstances that were not explained, and they were returned to their father’s care.
Andrei and Natalya were also found, and they are set to face trial for kidnapping the children and threatening their father and his neighbours. They may be sent to prison if found guilty.
Other local news outlets reported conflicting information, with Gazeta reporting that the car travelled for 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) instead of 20 before Sergei was thrown from the bonnet.
Gazeta also reported Sergei’s surname as Ivanov rather than Ivaniev, and that Natalya’s custody over the children had been revoked in spring last year (2020) and not last month.
