A special training for specialization of IC investigators in criminal cases involving minors was introduced in the RA Investigative Committee the participants of which today received certificates.
 

Since its formation the RA Investigative Committee has been focusing on the issues on protection of minors’ rights during the criminal proceeding, it has been taking possible measures to have specialized investigators and to protect the minors’ rights during the proceeding, to take the moral psychological features into consideration.
 

In order to conduct investigatory actions involving minors in most favorable conditions, to exclude the possible hindering influence the RA Investigative Committee equipped separate rooms in several territorial subdivisions considering the peculiarities of minors. At the same time, steps are taken to provide the narrow specialization of investigators; considering the psychological, age, social peculiarities of minors short trainings were organized in several regions.
 

In the result of the work conducted, the RA IC has already achieved certain positive results, however, highlighting the issue, by the order of the Chairman of the RA Investigative Committee in January, 2017 a special training for IC investigators’ specialization in criminal cases involving minors was introduced which was carried out together with the Armenian branch of “Project Harmony” organization funded by the US State Department.
 

From March 17 to May 5, 2017 21 investigators of several bodies and subdivisions of the RA Investigative Committee had a specialized training during which the investigators were presented the rules of conduct with the children having any procedural status, their peculiarities, psychological peculiarities, conditions for creating “safe” environment for minors.
 

“For the minor defendant, injured, witness the investigator is not only a person investigating the case, but also a teacher. Due to you they must not only realize that this or that commitment must not be done, but also they must understand why they must not be done”, Aghvan Hovsepyan said to the specialized investigators.
 

The training was carried out by 7 specialists of the sphere, including not only specialists of criminal law and procedure, but also psychologists, social workers.  
 

The Head of the Armenian branch of international organization “Project Harmony” highly assessed the efficient cooperation formed with the RA IC and gave letters of appreciation to the Chairman of the RA Investigative Committee Aghvan Hovsepyan, Deputy Chairman of the RA Investigative Committee Artur Ghambaryan, Head of Department of Legal Provision and Statistics Davit Tumasyan.

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Criminal cases investigated on crimes against or involving children are regularly studied in the RA Investigative Committee.
 

According to statistical data, during 2016 preliminary investigation of 107 criminal cases involving minors investigated in the proceeding of the RA Investigative Committee was completed and sent to courts with bills of indictments. 136 out of 167 persons involved as a defendant within the criminal cases were minors and most of the criminal cases investigated involving them – 52 criminal cases were initiated on theft (the Article 177 of RA Criminal Code). 9 of the rest of the criminal cases were initiated according to the Article 112 of RA Criminal Code (willful infliction of heavy damage to health), 4 – according to the Article 104 of RA Criminal Code (murder), 2 – according to the Article 139 of RA Criminal Code (violent sexual action) and so on.
 

During 2016 in the proceeding of the RA Investigative Committee there were 200 criminal cases on crimes committed against minors 4 of which were in the proceeding of the RA IC General Military Investigative Department. 4 out of those criminal cases were on murder envisaged by the Article 104 of RA Criminal Code, 4 – on causing death by negligence envisaged by the Article 109 of RA Criminal Code, 6 – on causing somebody to commit suicide envisaged by the Article 110 of RA Criminal Code, 13 – on willful infliction of heavy bodily damage to health envisaged by the Article 112 of RA Criminal Code, 5 – on willful infliction of light bodily damage to health envisaged by the Article 117 of RA Criminal Code, 25 – on battery envisaged by the Article 118 of RA Criminal Code, 4 – causing strong physical pain or mental sufferance envisaged by the Article 119 of RA Criminal Code, etc. 24 of the persons involved as a defendant within criminal cases are minors 9 of which are 14-16 years old, 15 – 16-18 years old. Within criminal cases in the proceeding there were 175 injured 47 of which were up to 12 years old, 14 – 12-14 years old, 72 – 14-16 years old, 42 – 16-18 years old. 71 criminal cases on 83 persons with the bill of indictment were sent to court (2 criminal cases on 3 persons in RA General Military Investigative Department).
 

The presented numbers state that crimes against children as well as involving minors are of significant number in Armenia which means that special attention must be paid to the issue.