My Husband Has Never Abused Me or Our Children: Mother of 3-Year-Old Tigran Shares Details

The life of 3-year-old Tigran's mother, Phrandzem Vatyan, turned upside down after the horrifying murder of her child in Tsapatagh. On the very day of her son's funeral, Phrandzem was 'deprived' of her five children by the initiative of the Gegharkunik Regional Governor's office through an emergency session of the guardianship and trusteeship body, which decided to send her four children to the Armenian Relief Fund's Children Protection Center.

'My husband was arrested, and the children were taken to a support center, leaving me alone in the family. The parents have decided to take Phrandzem to stay with them for a while until she recovers from the stress. They say she will return home to get her children back,' said Marine Mnatsakanyan, a representative of the guardianship and trusteeship body of the Vardenis community, in an interview with Aravot.

According to her, social workers from Vardenis frequently visit Phrandzem, and a psychologist is working with her. 'Today is my third visit, and I already see changes in Phrandzem. She's not closed off like she was on the first day; she is talking,' Marine added.

Phrandzem Vatyan recounted that she personally alerted the authorities about her son’s disappearance, which sparked the search efforts. After seven days of searching, on November 2, the police came to identify the child’s body at the scene. 'His shoes were far from him; his eyes were open, and he was completely covered in dirt and dust, with injuries on his face. He was not unrecognizable; I identified him,' she stated.

Tigran's older brother was also present, but he is silent and communicates through gestures. He indicated that they did not understand what the child was saying, and a psychologist was brought in to help. The mother confirmed that her son had put his hand to his throat.

Phrandzem Vatyan expressed disbelief over the incident, especially regarding her husband's involvement. After identifying Tigran's body, she reports that she has not seen her husband since to ask him anything. She is still trying to make sense of the horrific event but cannot find a reason. 'My husband has never abused me or our children. He was a caring father. I keep asking myself why, and I can't believe he would do something like this,' she said.

According to the Minister of Internal Affairs, after the incident, the case had some pre-investigation secrecy, suggesting that the arrested man claimed that little Tigran was not his child. Phrandzem cannot even believe that confession. 'That child was ours, and we never had such an argument. My husband never had any doubts about it. I don't know where this information came from. He is also the father of my five children,' she added.

Phrandzem’s mother is also shocked by the incident and does not believe her son-in-law could do such a thing. 'He is my son-in-law of 12 years; I never expected something like this from him, I have never seen anything bad from him,' she said.

Phrandzem also finds it hard to believe that her husband moved Tigran's body, as he participated in the rescue efforts. During this period, her eldest daughter visited Phrandzem with the relief fund staff. Once, the children’s aunt went to visit them. Two of Phrandzem's four children are already attending school, and one of them is working with a speech therapist.

As for whether the children will return to Phrandzem, the guardianship and trusteeship body has not yet made a clear decision. The psychologist working with Phrandzem has also noted that returning the children to her at this stage is impossible, as she needs continuous work with a psychologist.

'We still need to understand how beneficial it will be for the children to reunite with their mother in terms of their interests. If it turns out that this mother knew about the father’s behavior and remained silent, that would be a very serious reason for the children never to return to her,' Mira Antonyan, head of the Children Protection Center of the Relief Fund, told us.

Incidentally, Phrandzem Vatyan is a seasonal employee of the Tufenkian Foundation; they have a farm in Tsapatagh with cows, chickens, rabbits, and a beekeeping business. 'They are self-sufficient, a family that lives from their work,' reassured Marine Mnatsakanyan, a representative of the guardianship and trusteeship body of the Vardenis community.