A court in Uzbekistan’s Kashkadarya region has sentenced the operator of a private family daycare to five years in prison over the death of a 3-year-old girl who was left in a locked Kia Carnival for several hours. According to the court document reviewed by Kun.uz, Aziz Ochilov, who opened the daycare in his father’s name but ran it in practice, was convicted on multiple criminal counts, including improper performance of professional duties, embezzlement and document forgery.
Key Takeaways: A court in Uzbekistan’s Kashkadarya region sentenced Aziz Ochilov to five years in prison over the death of 3-year-old Madina Zayniddinova, who was left in a locked Kia Carnival for hours. He was convicted of improper professional duties, embezzlement and document forgery, while inspections also found financial violations at the daycare. The child died of acute cardiovascular and respiratory failure caused by overheating, according to forensic experts.
The judgment says Ochilov opened the family non-state preschool education organization in his father’s name on December 13, 2023, while effectively managing it himself. The daycare had two groups and 50 children. Ochilov transported children between their homes and the daycare in his own Kia Carnival. The case has raised questions about oversight of private preschools, the rules for transporting children and the responsibility of staff to account for every child during daily arrivals and departures.
On the morning of June 4, 2026, Ochilov brought the children to the daycare, unloaded them and handed them to a teacher, then locked the vehicle. However, Madina Zayniddinova, born in 2023, remained inside. At trial, Ochilov admitted guilt and said he had not counted the children: “I brought the children to the daycare, unloaded them and handed them to the teacher. When I looked at the car, no other child was visible. So I locked the car and went to work. Around 16:00 my spouse called and said the girl was not at the daycare. Everyone ran out because I had not counted the children.”
Forensic experts concluded that the girl died from acute cardiovascular and respiratory failure caused by general overheating of the body. After the girl was reported missing, Ochilov arrived at the daycare, where emergency medical staff were already treating the child; she was taken to hospital, but doctors said she had died. An inspection of the daycare’s operations also uncovered financial violations.
The Kitob District Court for Criminal Cases found Ochilov guilty under Article 116, Part 3 (improper performance of professional duties), Article 167, Part 2, clauses “b”, “v” and “g” (embezzlement or misappropriation), and Article 228, Part 2, clause “b” and Part 3 (forgery and use of documents) of the Criminal Code. He was sentenced to five years in prison, deprived of the right to engage in entrepreneurial activity for three years, and ordered to serve the sentence in a penal colony. Further legal steps and conclusions from supervisory bodies are expected.
Source: kun.uz