The headline would be more appropriately titled: "Child Manipulates Flight Controls." Yeah I know, not much pzazz huh?
Big deal. I've let kids think they're "flying the plane" in little singles several times. Some of them have done surprisingly well at level turns and basic stuff like that. Full-grown non-pilot adults too. But without a qualified pilot directing their activities and ready to take over if needed...
In that Russian crash, the kid started a fight with the autopilot and lost while neither the "captain" nor the FO was minding the store. Stupid overindulgent parenting paired with irresponsible piloting. Bad mix...
As said above, letting someone manipulate the controls isn't dangerous by itself. But it's not allowed in air carriers. The Captain knowingly and purposefully broke the rules and should be sanctioned for it. If the company really was complicit, they should be sanctioned too. Plus it's really bad optics for the airline and industry.