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At another meeting of the Civic Council under the RF Investigative Committee Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin brought up an issue of perception by the public the problem of preventing abuse of minors.

The meeting was attended by: presidential Plenipotentiary in Central Federal District Alexander Beglov, Chairman of the Civic Council under the RF Investigative Committee Alexander Yakushev, and the following members of the Civic Council – president of the Interregional NGO “Outstanding Military and Naval Commanders of the Fatherland” state councilor of justice Alexander Sukharev, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Association of Investigative Veterans NGOs “Union of Investigative Veterans” Vladimir Dontsov, First Deputy CEO of PAO RusGidro Vladimir Markin, Deputy Director General for social and political broadcasting of OAO First Channel Oleg Volnov, Head of programs “News. Police Control Room” and “Private Detective” Eduard Petrov, First Deputy CEO of ZAO TV Company TN TV Yuri Shalimov, Chancellor of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the RF Foreign Ministry Anatoly Torkunov, Chairman of the Presidium of the All-Russian NGO Council of Public Observation Commissions, member of the Council under the RF President for development of civic society and human rights Maria Kannabikh, President of the RF Club of Military Commanders Anatoly Kulikov, Director of the Institute for Problems of International Security of the Russian Academy of Science Andrei Kokoshin and other members of the Civic Council, as well as Vice Chairmen of the Investigative Committee, heads and employees of divisions of the Investigative Committee’s Head Office.

Addressing the present, Alexander Bastrykin explained the necessity to discuss the said topic: “The public has been discussing the new version of Article 116 of the RF Penal Code for several months now. The Federal Law which not only divided the responsibility for battery into criminal and administrative, but split the society into those advocating the right of parents on “giving a slap” and followers of responsible parenting, entered its force in July. Before the amendments were made into Article 116, any battery regardless by whom and to whom it was inflicted were considered criminally punishable. Partial decriminalization of the said article made battery committed for the first time an administrative offence, while criminal liability rested with the battery committed against relatives, including minors, that committed out of hooliganism or on motives of hatred or enmity to any kind of social group.”

“Basically the law is set to protect victims of domestic violence. This includes not only children, but other often dependent or helpless members of family: housewives, elderly parents and other relatives who can’t stand up for themselves because of, for example, a disease or disability.”

“However, beating a child, especially a small one, is always greater evil than beating an adult, who is capable of reporting a crime to the police, if not standing up for themselves.”

The Chairman stressed that “the reaction of the state to violence committed by an adult against a minor should not be determined by a circle this adult belongs to, in other words, whether they are relatives with the child or a perfect stranger.” At the same time, a number of deputies and members of the Federation Council have recently submitted to the State Duma a bill directed at decriminalization of battery by relatives.

Mr. Bastrykin and members of the Civic Council discussed the initiative in detail. Alexander Beglov, Anatoly Torkunov, Alexander Sekharev, Vladimir Dontsov, Maria Kannabikh and others offered their professional opinion on the matter.

They agreed that the proposed decriminalization of domestic violence causes serious alarm and came to a conclusion that the decision on what liability there should be – criminal or administrative – must have an impartial and reasonable substantiation and ensure adequate legal assessment of public danger of the act.

At the same time, members of the Civic Council paid special attention to the problem cannot be solved by criminal repressions alone, an integral state approach is necessary to ensure efficient violence-preventive effect. Therefore, the council made a decision to have a serious and responsible discussion which would exclude a hasty and rash solution of the issue related to the punishment for battery committed by relatives against children in the first place.

Acting Head of media Relations                                                                                                                S.L. Petrenko