MOSCOW. Sept 6 (Interfax) - A criminal case has been launched against police officials who failed to guarantee security at a rock music festival when dozens of bare-chested thugs armed with weapons attacked audience members, the Investigative Committee under the Russian Prosecutor General's Office told Interfax.
"A legal assessment will be given during the investigation of the conduct of the Miass city police officials responsible for maintaining order at the rock festival," an Investigative Committee spokesman said, adding that the criminal case had been opened on negligence charges.
The attack took place at the Tornado rock festival in Miass in Russia's Chelyabinsk region on August 29.
Over 100 attackers broke into the festival area and attacked concertgoers and police officers.
Chelyabinsk regional authorities said it was a purely criminal offence and denied the involvement of a gang of skinheads.
A criminal case was opened on hooliganism charges, the Miass city police department said.
"Eighteen participants in the brawl have been identified by photographs and eight of them have been taken into custody,' the police said.
Nineteen people asked for medical assistance after the attack.
The festival was held on the shores of Lake Turgoyak at the Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya children's camp from August 27 through 29.