Today - on March 21 a scientific practical international conference was held in the RA Investigative Committee on “Investigation of Crimes Involving Minors”. The representatives of the RF Investigative Committee headed by Deputy Chairman of the RF Investigative Committee Yelena Leonenko, Deputy President of International Association of Prosecutors Alexander Zvyagintsev, Military Prosecutor of Rome Marko de Paulis and other guests took part in the conference.  

Greeting the participants of the conference the RA IC Chairman Aghvan Hovsepyan mentioned that since its formation the RA Investigative Committee has always focused on protection of procedural rights and interests of minors.

«We live in the area of globalization. Minors are also participants of it and they can fall under the influence of others out of their age, psychological, social and other specifications.

The cases when this «trust» leads to involvement of a minor in criminal activity or makes him vulnerable from the point of view of victimology are not rare.

I wish all the participants success, efficient and productive work and I am sure that the expressed opinions and made decisions will be of great scientific practical significance», said the RA IC Chairman Aghvan Hovsepyan.  

During the conference the general state of crime against minors and committed by them, a wide range of issues on crimes committed on the internet (death groups, sexual violence and others), law-making activity in the sphere of prevention of crimes against minors, as well as legislation humanization against minor criminals, psychological rehabilitation of children who became victims of sexual violence were discussed.

The RA IC Chairman Aghvan Hovsepyan stated that this issue, especially in recent years, has become quite actual. The RA Investigative Committee by its initiative has started to conduct special statistics of crimes against children and on domestic violence due to which clear information has been formed on dynamics of crimes involving children or against them and criminal legal policy adjusted to it has been worked out, a number of legislative changes have been made.

Pursuant to statistical data, there is a trend of growth of crimes against children in Armenia. Sexual crimes, crimes against health, life, freedom are mainly committed against children.  

In the result of studies conducted in the RA Investigative Committee it was found out that during 2015-2017 1 percent of all crimes committed in the Republic of Armenia are sexual crimes most of which committed against children.

Thus, in 2015 131 criminal cases on sexual crimes were investigated in the RA IC proceeding 84 of which were committed against children (64 percent of total number of sexual crimes), in 2016 157 criminal cases were investigated 110 of which were committed against children (70 percent), in 2017 161 criminal cases were investigated 101 of which – against children (62.7 percent). These statistical data state that decrease of sexual crimes committed against children was observed last year nevertheless the index is extremely worrying and proves the importance of continuing joint work together with social services and the representatives of civil society.

Pursuant to the statistics, most of the minors affected by these crimes are 14-16 year-old children, the youngest of them – 4 year-old.

In order to raise the efficiency of crime disclosures committed by and against minors, to exclude double victimization of minors affected by crimes specialization of investigators was highlighted out of psychological, age, social specifications of minors. Together with partner non-governmental organizations the Investigative Committee organized special trainings in the result of which 21 IC investigators got specified specialization. Besides, separate investigative rooms are equipped in territorial subdivisions of the RA Investigative Committee for investigative actions involving minors.

The RA IC Chairman mentioned that in the result of consistent work positive results were recorded both in investigation methodology and disclosure. Still, it is necessary to strengthen the implementation of preventive measures directed to decrease of crimes committed by minors, as well as against them paying special attention to domestic violence as it often happens when the family which must protect the child and his rights does not only fulfill this function but also violates it. First of all, the preventive measures must be directed to protection of children from negative information which tells on child’s development and improving the quality of education in the family, as well as at school negatively.

A. Hovsepyan also highlighted the raising of efficiency of activities of bodies of guardianship which having a wide range of competencies in children’s protection implement incomplete and non-professional work and the state and non-state bodies, and even the RA Ombudsman referred to it more than once.

Representatives of the investigative committees of the two countries, non-governmental organizations also had speeches at the conference.

Summing up the conference results the participants stated that efficiency of protection of children depends not only on systemic and professional approach of separate bodies and organizations but also on mutually beneficial cooperation between them involving civil society.