site.btaVelichie Proposes Ad Hoc Committee to Look into Issues related to Crimes against Children

The Velichie parliamentary group proposes the establishment of an ad hoc committee to study the problems related to crimes against children. The draft resolution on the establishment of the committee was tabled by Velichie Floor Leader Ivelin Mihaylov and MPs Maria Ilieva, Krasimira Ninova-Katincharova, and Yuliana Mateeva on April 4, shows information on the National Assembly's website. 

It is proposed that the committee be composed of nine MPs, elected on a parity basis, with each parliamentary group having one representative. The term of office of the committee is three months, which may be extended by a decision of the National Assembly if necessary. The committee is to submit a report on its work to Parliament within ten days of the expiry of its term in office. 

Among the tasks of the committee would be to examine the prevalence and mechanisms of commission of crimes/offences against children. It is proposed that the ad hoc committee should analyse the existing legal framework and identify its shortcomings in terms of effectiveness in implementing administrative and criminal liability and prosecution of offenders, as well as effectiveness in protecting victims. The tasks also include examining the actions and capacities of the authorities and institutions involved in the detection of crimes/violations, the implementation of responsibility for the crimes/violations committed, as well as in the protection of children, including the Ministry of Interior, the prosecution service, the courts, the Social Assistance Agency, the State Agency for Child Protection, and NGOs. 

In recent years, there has been an increase in crimes related to paedophilia, mental and physical abuse of children, including in the digital environment. Although the legislation contains penal norms for the protection of children, their implementation in practice shows significant shortcomings, reads the reasoning of the draft resolution.