3-Year-Old Girl Dies After Mother Dangles Her From Balcony As Punishment

A Russian mother who dropped her 3-year-old daughter to death while dangling her from their 6th-floor balcony has been detained for suspected murder.

23-year-old, Anna Ruzankina, was dangling her toddler daughter from their apartment balcony in Saratov, as punishment for crying. A surveillance camera in the area captured the horrifying moments.

The toddler, identified as Anastasia, can be heard in the video pleading "Mama, I am scared".

The mother was reportedly dangling the screaming toddler by her t-shirt over the balcony railing. The shirt tore, and the child fell 60 ft to her death.

Another CCTV camera inside an elevator in the apartment, captured the scared mother rushing to retrieve the fallen toddler. The mother is seen returning to the lift with the unresponsive child in her arms before taking her to their 6th-floor apartment.

She can be seen desperately shaking the baby girl as if trying to revive her.

According to reports from local media, the mother had just returned home from a party and was reportedly in an inebriated state. She got agitated when the toddler started crying and decided to punish her, said reports.

A male passerby, seen on the video, told reporters that he heard the child scream from an upper floor.

"And suddenly I heard a dull sound of falling," the passerby, who has not been named, told reporters.

"The screams stopped."

"When I turned around, I saw a little girl covered in blood lying on the asphalt."

"I ran to call the emergency services. I was so shocked," he said.

Emergency services arrived at the scene and pronounced the toddler dead at the scene.

According to neighbors, the mother claimed that the child climbed over the balcony herself.

"I told her she would fall," neighbors said they heard her say.

However, the Russian Investigative Committee confirmed that Ruzankina "dropped her young daughter, born in 2018, from the balcony".

"Currently, the suspect has been detained," the committee added.

Ruzankina was detained on suspicion of murdering a minor in a helpless state. If convicted, she may face up to 21 years in jail.