Bill on life imprisonment for sexual abuse of children approved in second reading

Bill on life imprisonment for sexual violence against children approved in second reading

In Uzbekistan, there are plans to significantly toughen liability for crimes against children. Deputies of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis adopted in the second reading a bill that provides for stricter punishments and additional guarantees for minors who have suffered from violence.

The most severe measure is proposed for the rape of children under 14 years of age and the forcible satisfaction of sexual desire in an unnatural form. Such acts may be punished by up to 25 years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.

Specific restrictions are also sought for crimes that intentionally resulted in the death of a child. In such cases, it is proposed to exclude the possibility of suspended sentencing and parole. In addition, for a number of crimes against the sexual freedom of children, there are plans not to apply statutes of limitations for prosecution and execution of punishment.

The toughening of punishments will also affect other crimes. It is proposed to consider the intentional infliction of grave or moderate bodily harm to a minor, as well as the commission of lewd acts against a child under 16 by a group of persons, as an aggravating circumstance. Stricter measures are also provided for involving minors in antisocial behavior, as well as for failure to fulfill child-rearing duties.

A separate block of amendments concerns the procedure for handling children who have become victims of violence or witnesses to a crime.

The interrogation of a minor is planned to be mandatorily recorded on video. Confrontations involving children will be conducted according to special rules. The participation of a representative of the guardianship and trusteeship authorities is also envisaged.

For children who have suffered from violence or witnessed it, legal aid is provided at the expense of the state. The bill separately specifies the procedure for its provision.

The changes will also affect schools. If a teacher uses violence against a child, this will become grounds for dismissal at the initiative of the employer.

In addition, liability is introduced for distributing information among children that may cause harm to their health, as well as for failure to comply with decisions of commissions on children's issues or creating obstacles to their implementation.

The bill was finalized after discussions with deputies, specialists, and representatives of the public. Some of the proposals received during the discussion were included in the new edition of the document.

Now the bill has to go through the remaining stages to enter into force.

Earlier, the leader of the Milliy Tiklanish party, Alisher Kadyrov, advocated for the return of the death penalty in Uzbekistan for child murderers and persons who committed sexual crimes against minors.