Over 2,300 children victimized in criminal cases: Prosecutor General Kravchenko urges MPs to support life sentences for crimes against children. VIDEO
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko has called on parliamentarians to support changes to legislation that would impose mandatory life imprisonment for the intentional murder and rape of minors.
According to Censor.NET, this was stated in Kravchenko's post on his Facebook page.
According to him, 652 children this year became victims of crimes against life and health, some of them were intentionally killed, and 120 children were raped. Despite this, courts issued only 12 life sentences.
"The law must protect those who cannot protect themselves. 20 November is Children’s Day. This is a date that forces us not just to talk about safety, but to face the truth. And the truth today is harsh: current legislation does not provide children with proper protection," Kravchenko stressed.
He added that this is not only a theoretical problem but the cause of real tragedies that could have been prevented.
"In the conditions of full-scale war, children have become even more vulnerable. They are killed by missiles and drones, experience occupation and deportations, survive shelling. But even in the rear, they remain defenceless against those who can harm them. When a country fights for its survival every day, the law must be uncompromising in protecting the smallest," the Prosecutor General added.
Statistics on crimes against children
Kravchenko presented this year’s statistics, noting that it is a warning that cannot be ignored:
-
2,377 children have been victims in criminal proceedings;
- 652 suffered from crimes against life and health, some of them intentionally killed;
-
120 children were raped.
"Despite this, courts issued only 12 life sentences. In the remaining cases – 7 to 15 years in prison. And some offenders may be released much earlier due to parole under Article 81 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," Kravchenko added.
The Prosecutor General gave a specific example:
"An eight-month-old baby boy who had not yet taken his first steps. The mother’s drunken partner beat the child to death. The court sentenced him to 15 years in prison," Kravchenko said.
He added: "We will of course appeal this verdict. The regional prosecutor will personally defend justice in court in memory of this child."
According to him, this is not an isolated case: "This is the consequence of a system that does not recognize the degree of a victim’s vulnerability and does not ensure adequate accountability. It cannot be this way. It must not be this way."
"My position is clear and unequivocal: the law must be changed," Kravchenko stressed.
Proposed legislative changes
"In October, I appealed to the Verkhovna Rada’s Law Enforcement Committee with specific proposals — to establish mandatory life imprisonment in cases of: intentional murder of a minor; rape of a person under 14 regardless of ‘consent’; rape of a minor," the Prosecutor General said.
Kravchenko added: "These changes are not about cruelty. They are about justice, the inevitability of punishment, and a clear message to the offender: for taking a child’s life or dignity, you will never return to freedom. I urge MPs to support our initiative not ‘when there is time,’ but now."
He concluded: "Children cannot wait for the law to mature. To protect the most vulnerable, legislation must become stronger. This is our responsibility to children, to society, and to Ukraine’s future."
