AN EVIL foster mum starved and drugged her son for eight years to claim £50,000 benefits to splurge on luxuries.

Lyubov Korotkova forced Valery Kandaurov, 11, to live in “grave” medical conditions for eight years and hid her scheme from husband Andrei.

Lyubov Korotkova forcibly reduced his weight by starving him of food and plying him with drugs to feign serious illness Credit: East2west News

Valery Kandaurov, 11, lived in 'grave' medical conditions for eight years Credit: East2west News

Valery's malnutrition was so severe he weighed the same as a four year old child.

Korotkova had forcibly reduced his weight by starving him of food and plying him with drugs to "build up the clinical manifestation of a stomach disease".

'HELPLESS CHILD'

She also home schooled the boy, so he was never seen by teachers.

Svetlana Petrenko, of the Russian Federal Investigative Committee said: “The malnutrition was so severe that the 11 year old boy had the weight of a four year old child.”

“For eight years she deliberately was not feeding her fostered child in order to register him as disabled and receive benefits and sickness payments.

“During all these years the woman was seeing many different doctors with her child, asking them to check him for multiple diseases, including cancer.

Valery's malnutrition was so severe he had the weight of a four year old child

Svetlana Petrenko, of the Russian Federal Investigative Committee

“As a result, the doctors - who were cheated - could not pinpoint the right diagnosis.”

Initially local officials Magadan did not believe the allegations against the “heroic” woman and staged a public campaign to have the boy returned to Korotkova.

She pleaded guilty but was convicted of the “intentional infliction of a grave injury, to a minor (leaving him) in a helpless state."

She must now pay this money back in full and hand over more than £8,000 in "moral damages" to the child who was removed from her care as soon as her cruelty was exposed.

The boy is now being cared for permanently by Svetlana Suleimanova, a psychologist who treated him immediately he was freed from his life of hell with Korotkova and flown 3,800 miles to Moscow.

Valery's foster dad Andrei was completely unaware of Lyubov's scheme Credit: East2west News

Valery jumping on his bed in Moscow hospital now as has put on weight Credit: East2west News

Valery was adopted by the evil foster mum when he was three years old Credit: East2west News

Svetlana Suleimanova who wants to adopt young Valery to give him a better life Credit: East2west News

Lyubov sobbed in an iron cage in a Russian court before she was led away to start her six year sentence Credit: East2west News

Svetlana Petrenko, of the Russian Federal Investigative Committee said Valery had the weight of a four year old Credit: East2west News

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