Analysis of crime situation shows that at the moment the rate of suicides committed by minors is very high in Russia. 685 such acts were registered last year. At the same time, suicides are often committed under influence of information from social nets and other Internet resources.
Due to necessity to oppose this dangerous phenomenon, the Russia's Investigative Committee has held an interdepartamental briefing. Participants of the events exchanged opinions on probable ways to solve the problem of teenager suicides from the point of their department's line of activity.
Stating that the RF Penal Code lacks a norm, allowing to hold accountable for inclining to suicide (if actions of the person do not include threats, cruel treatment or systematic humiliation of human dignity), representatives of the Russia's Investigative Committee considered appropriate to elaborate changes in legislation and introduce criminal responsibility for inclining a minor to commit suicide and assisting in it.
As the situation is seriously worsened by the fact that Internet media represent children suicides as some fashion "trend", which provokes teenage tendency to copy, briefing participants agreed on necessity to elaborate the question of making some governmental institution responsible for monitoring "suicidal" content in the Internet. Also they considered important to develop measures stimulating operators and hosting providers to supply services, complying with safety requirements, in other words, free of illegal content.
Also following the results of the briefing it was decided to create an interdepartamental working group, together with employees of the Russia's Investigative Committee comprising representatives of the Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs, Rospotrebnadzor, Roscomnadzor, the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Ministry of Healthcare. Within the framework of the working group, they will continue to discuss issues linked with children suicides and elaborate on proposals, including the said ones.
Head of Media Relations V.I. Markin
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