A heroic schoolboy who saved his Mom from a brutal rapist has died 19 months after his skull was crushed, fighting off the monster.
Vanya Krapivin, just 16 years old, came home from school to find their neighbour Roman Pronin straddling his screaming, blood-soaked Mother.
The previously convicted murderer reportedly repeatedly attacked Natalia Krapivina, 43, with a knife seeking to force her to have sex with him.
Vanya – who was 15 at the time- entered the flat in Severodvinsk, northwest Russia and saw the appalling scene.
The boy picked up a 3kg dumbbell and struck the rapist. Pronin, 37, was later jailed for 14 years and is now facing an additional murder charge after the boy’s death, deflected the blow and turned his fury on Vanya.
The man wrestled the dumbbell from him, and pounded it over the boys head.
Neighbours who heard the commotion called the police while the vicious attacker fled believing both were dead.
Vanya and his Mom were both found unconscious on the floor in the blood soaked flat.
The boy fell into a coma for 9 months while his Mom had suffered 27 stab wounds – but her life was saved by her son’s bravery.
Completely traumatised from her own experience and her son’s savage skull injuries, Natalia was released from hospital a few months later, but only visited her son twice after the horror of the ordeal, say reports.
Her brave son suffered serious brain damage and lost almost all the frontal bone of his skull.
Surgeons had to remove some of his brain, and a massive fund raising campaign was launched by prominent TV presenter Andrey Malakhov for titanium plates he needed in his skull and other medical expenses.
A year later, Vanya showed ‘light signs of being conscious’ after treatment from top Russian surgeon Leonid Roshal.
In June this year he started to recognise his nurse and started to eat porridge and mashed food.
In July, he went to a rehabilitation centre in Moscow amid renewed hope of improvement.Funds were also being raised to send the hero boy to Spain for further recovery.
However, in October he contracted flu and despite intensive care treatment his condition worsened and he died on Tuesday this week.
Tragically, the distraught mother could not cope with her son’s condition, blaming herself – even though she was Pronin’s victim too.
She had reportedly pleaded with the authorities before the attack not to allow a released murderer to live in her block close to children.
The mother has faced criticism in Russia for not being at Vanya’s bedside. Natalia sought funds to treat her son and told a TV audience: ‘ I beg to be pardoned…(for not visiting him more frequently).
‘And I want to ask you, please, help my son.
‘I don’t remember what happened that day.’
Admitting she had turned to drink after the horrific ordeal she said: ‘Everybody now tells me that I am to blame for everything …
‘I am ready to be treated.
‘And I want to be with my son.’
The Mother has not spoken since Vanya’s death.
Pronin was jailed for two attempted murders. He will now face a murder charge.
A criminal investigation is also currently underway into why the convicted murderer was allowed to live near children.