Natalia Vodianova blasts café owner after autistic sister Oksana told to leave

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Natalia Vodianova hit out at cafe after they demanded sister Oksana leave
Oksana, who has cerebral palsy, had stopped for lunch in Nizhny Novgorod
Cafe owner threatened to call 'psychiatric unit' and 'lock her in a basement'
Vodianova's charity supports Russian families with disabled children

By Will Stewart In Russia For Mailonline

Published: 04:34 EST, 13 August 2015 | Updated: 11:22 EST, 13 August 2015

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Supermodel Natalia Vodianova has blasted the treatment of her disabled sister who was ordered out of a Russian cafe and told to 'go and get cured' before returning because she was scaring other clients.

Oksana, 27, who suffers from autism and cerebral palsy, was also threatened with being locked in a cellar while the an ambulance from the psychiatric service was called.

She was with a carer - who Vodianova calls her nanny - during a walk when she stopped at a cafe in the family's home city of Nizhny Novgorod.

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Outrage: Natalia Vodianova (third left) has spoken out after younger sister Oksana (far right) was told to leave a cafe and 'go and get cured' after she ordered some lunch (pictured with mother Larisa and sister Kristina)

Anger: The supermodel took to her Facebook page to express her outrage following the incident

Defence: But the cafe owner, pictured here arguing with Vodianova's mother, has refused to speak publically - but could be risking five years in prison for his alleged actions, according to the police

'It was a middle of the week and there was nobody there - just one client,' said the 33-year-old supermodel.

'The waitress approached them immediately and said that it was forbidden to stay there without ordering food.'

The nanny made an order but the owner of the cafe came over and in a 'rude way' said: 'Come on, go away.

'You are scaring all our clients away.

'Go and get cured and cure you child first. And only then you come to the public place.'

Vodianova - who as a child sold fruit in a freezing open air market in the city with her mother before her rags to riches rise to catwalk stardom - said: 'The nanny said she was sorry but the child had disabilities and the best thing is to wait while she has a rest and then go.

'The owner refused to wait and said that he was calling the guards.

'My mother and the nanny have never been thrown out of the cafe before. This is why the shocked nanny phoned my mother and asked what to do in this situation because she knew it was impossible to make Oksana do something.

'While my mother was on her way, the security guard stood next to Oksana and this is what he said: "You go away, or we will call the psychiatric service. We will call an ambulance and lock you in the cella"'.'

Natalia Vodianova bushes her autistic sisters hair

Disabilities: Oksana, pictured with Vodianova, has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and autism

Normal day: Vodianova - pictured with her mother last year - said Oksana, 27, enjoys going for long walks, and on this occasion her carer decided they should stop for a drink and some water

Home town: Vodianova has also had to defend her decision not to move her sister and mother away from Russia, explaining the change would be too difficult for Oksana

Philanthropist Vodianova, nicknamed Supernova, said the only other client in the cafe begged the staff not to harass Oksana.

When her mother Larisa Kusakina arrived 'there were already three big guards near Oksana'.

She explained that Oksana had special needs but if she was nervous she could 'cry or shout'.

Mrs Kusakina stressed to the owner and guards that Oksana 'did not touch anybody, she was dressed in clean clothes, she was not smelly. She said that the child was not scaring anybody away'.

But the owner told her: 'Take her away, cure her first and only then visit the public places.'

The supermodel said: 'After that one of the guards came up to my mother and asked her to leave the cafe.

'He took her elbow and demanded to go, threatening to call police.

'Of course, my mother took the nanny and Oksana out of the cafe and then came back to the owner saying this was not the end of it. This matter concerns not only her but also all people with special needs.'

However, the scandal did not end there.

'When mother came to the central entrance to the park, a police team was waiting there with machine-guns and they roughly ordered her: "Stand still. Come with us to the station. We detain you for hooliganism".

'Oksana refused to go into the car, she was hot and tired. My mother was taken to the local police station on her own. '

Once there, senior officers recognised her as Vodianova's mother and refused to take any action against her.

Vile: There was only one other person in the cafe, but the owner said Oksana was scaring away customers

Innocent: Even the other customer stood up for Oksana, whose carer called her mother

Stunned: Vodianova, who is one the world's most sought after models, said she felt sorry for her mother, sister and the nanny for being put through such a stressful incident

Instead she was taken to the central police station in Nizhny Nogorod, a city on the Volga River 250 miles east of Moscow.

Here Mrs Kusakina - who said today she was left 'furious' by the incident - submitted her own complaint about the owner of the cafe.

'I feel so sorry for my mother and for Oksana, and for our nanny who bravely coped with the situation,' said Vodianova, who runs the Naked Heart charity, which supports Russian families raising disabled children, among other things.

'Those strong men attacked a helpless girl just because she sat down on a chair. My Oksana is absolutely harmless, all her fault is that she is not like others and does not look like other people.

Mother Larisa Kusakina

'It was the owner of this cafe who should have been taken to the station for abuse and discrimination. Why was it my mother?

'Why did she have to waste her day on the way from one police station to another and the man who abused her carried on with his day as usual?'

Vodianova then launched an impassioned plea to help people with special needs be happy, adding: 'Let's help non-commercial organisations and charities who are working every day on building an inclusive society in Russia, help in a way that we become such a society.'

The cafe owner refused to give his name or comment to a Russian newspaper.

One staff member claimed Oksana had gone into a staff-only area, while Anar, the son of the cafe owner, said that the barman 'saw she was not controlling herself. You see, well, she is a sick person.

'So the barman closed his door and she began to bang her head against this wall, And then she sat down on the floor.'

The staff asked the carer to 'lift her up'.

Unfair: Larisa rushed to the cafe to help her daughter, saying she was 'furious' the moment she heard

'If you go for a walk with such a person, you must look after her. But she came up, said couple of words and left again. We asked maybe we should call an ambulance? And we got an aggressive reply - our child does not need ambulance.

'We offered help, we said - "Let's make her sit down, here are chairs, we'll bring you some tea, water, whatever you want", but they strongly refused to do so. And they started all this story.'

When Vodianova's mother arrived 'she just rushed in, grabbed a tray and threw it. It should not be done like this. She did not ask what happened. She just started a scandal, and everyone around her was guilty of everything.

'This girl, I am sure she is a normal human being, she has the same rights, as you and me, nobody should ban this person from coming into cafes - but it just happened like this.'

But Mrs Kusakina hit back.

'Those strong men attacked a helpless girl just because she sat down on a chair. My Oksana is absolutely harmless, all her fault is that she is not like others and does not look like other people.

'Oksana is very nervous now, she is in stress. We never use a loud voice when talking to her at home, we took good care of her, she has grown up in love.'

After the support her daughter Natalia had given her home city 'she did not deserve that her sister was thrown out like this'.

Police action: Both Larisa and the cafe owner have now submitted complaints against each other

Persecution: 'The situation which took place yesterday with my sister Oksana is, unfortunately not a unique one. It is the kind of reality where all families who raise children with disabilities live in,' said Vodianova

Both the mother and the cafe owner had submitted complaints against each other, said the source.

A criminal probe was launched into the incident by the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Investigative Committee, responsible for handling serious crime - but authorities seem to be siding with Oksana and her mother, who was filmed telling off the owner on Russian TV.

Vladimir Markin - spokesman for the powerful Russian Investigative Committee - warned that the security guard and cafe owner could face five years in prison.

He blamed heavy handed security guards.

I feel so sorry for my mother and for Oksana, and for our nanny who bravely coped with the situation. It was the owner of this cafe who should have been taken to the station for abuse and discrimination. Why was it my mother?

Natalia Vodianova

'They seem to ignore the elderly, youngsters or the sick,' he said.

'Their only criteria is obeying their master's voice. It's like with a trained guard dogs.'

Vodianova posted thanks for a wave of support for her over her sister's treatment.

'Many thanks to everyone for your support and comments,' she said.

Asked why she had not taken her mother and sister to live in the West - where she lives with her four children - she said: 'For our Oksana, and for so many autistic people there is no way they can get over the language barrier. I left and could financially support my family when Oksana was already a teenager, and that move was no option by then.

'Besides my mother finds the idea of leaving Russia difficult, as all her life, friends, community, her house, everything is here'.'

Recently Vodianova hosted the group stage draw for the World Cup, to be held in Russia in 2018.

The city of Nizhny Novgorod is one of the venues for games in the championship.

Vodianova said: 'The situation which took place yesterday with my sister Oksana is, unfortunately not a unique one. It is the kind of reality where all families who raise children with disabilities live in.

'It is hard for me to talk about it, but I understand that it is a signal for the society which is impossible to ignore.'

Indeed, comments on the story seem to suggest a mix of opinions in Russia.

Misunderstanding: Anvar, son of the cafe owner, said they had only tried to help Oksana

Stand together: A lot of commenters came out in support of Vodinova, and have said they will boycott the cafe

Kirill Kulikov, replying to Vodianova's post on the scandal, wrote: 'Most likely the girl was screaming and behaving in a way that didn't suit a public area.

'Parents must understand that their child has deviations and that people around will treat that child accordingly.

'In the end if they believe that their child because of peculiarities of his or her development has a right to disturb public, what kind of respect do they expect from others?

'Naturally the owner's rudeness is unacceptable, yet Natalia should have shown the whole picture in her story and not pretend to be innocent victims."

Others have come out in support.

Other comments say 'Shame on the cafe owner, I'll boycot this cafe' and 'We are with you Natalia', and 'What a horror'.

Vasilina said: 'We've got to make this kind of cafe publicly shamed. I'll never going to go there again, ever.'