For how long the judges will give minimum sentences to pedophiles?
The latest cases of pedophilia in Veles (74 years old male was sexually abusing a minor girl for a longer period of time) and Kichevo (2 girls being victims of sexual violence by three male adults aged of 60 + )
- For how long the judges will give minimum sentences to pedophiles?
- Does is take for the worst to happen in order to convict them to maximum sentences?
- How much are our children really a priority to the institutions?
- The present sentences will not give results unless the pedophiles get maximum penalties!!!!
On the occasion of the enormous number of cases of children victims of sexual violence, we remind that the First Children’s Embassy in the World Megjashi, Republic of Macedonia has reacted many times in this respect, demanding the following:
For the judges to pronounce the most severe sentences- life prison;
To implement additional measures for child protection in the cases of pedophiles recidivists ; using the experiences of other countries;
To work with the children victims on their re-socialization, rehabilitation and reintegration in the society;
To conduct programs for treatment of the pedophiles and their re-socialization which will include adequate measures for preventing of repetition of the act;
Programs of prevention in the schools, the families and through the media which will influence the child protection;
To create a register for evidence of reported cases and convicted child abusers;
For the convicted pedophiles to recompense the children victims of violence and after the prison period to forbid them any closer approach to children;
The judges which get it touch with the abused child to pay special attention to that contact. The child statement to be given once in a relaxed atmosphere in presence of a judge, psychologist, pedagogue, and a social worker from the Center for Social Care
To respect the identity and the integrity of the children victims or witnesses of all kind of violence and to protect them from additional victimization by exposing their personal data in the media, as the name, the home address, personal information regarding the case, specific marks of his/hers physical, mental, economic, cultural or social identify, ethnicity, etc.;
The Centers for Social Care to be mobile and effective in detecting families at risk and their continuous follow-up as for taking measures for prevention. Their contribution in the prevention of child molestation in the greatest;
To develop a system of early detection of the child molestation and to strengthen the services for direct help of the children victims of violence.
In the world: About one million of children a year are victims of sexual violence. The world data say that only 30% of the cases of violence against children are reported. The statistics show that the girls are five times more vulnerable of violence then boys, that is, every third girl and every seventh boy are victims of pedophiles. In 89, 75% of the cases the abuse persists for years, and in 10, 25% of the cases for months. According to some estimation, in Serbia 2/3 of the children are sexually abused and only 3 months ago the FBI discovered an internet chain of pedophiles where the children victims of sexual abuse are from one to nine years old. Here’s how this problem is solved in some countries:
- in Norway, the pedophiles are impressed micro chips which locate their movements, so that the police is always aware of their current location
- The same method is expected to be implemented in England;
- In Denmark, there exists chemical castration of the pedophiles recidivists as a method of prevention;
- The President of the French Republic is lobbying for the same method. The current sentences of pedophiles in France are from 15 to 20 years of prison. Also, there’s an option for “prison- hospital”;
- In Canada, there is a practice of social- court accompaniment (including medical and social accompaniment) for the ex-convicts. One element of this measure is a mobile electronic bracelet which is being attached to the ex-convict’s wrist;
- In the countries considered as less civilized, the death penalty is the only verdict for the abusers.
In Republic of Macedonia: besides the more frequent detection and turning in of the pedophiles by the police, and besides the latest changes in the Criminal Law which enables more severe penalties, the judges are still pronounce the minimal sentences. The media report continuously about these cases, but that’s not enough. What does it take to happen in order for the judges to give more adequate sentences? The most concerning fact is that 100% of the recidivists are repeating the act.
The fight against the pedophilia needs a team and multidisciplinary approach, through cooperation of the citizen organizations and the state institutions, especially the Centers for Social Help, the courts, the Ombudsman, the Police and the schools. It implies synchronized and mutual act of prevention of all relevant institutions which take part in the child education and care, the family, the state institutions and the citizen organizations.
We call again sentences from 10 years to life prison depending of the gravity of the act of child violence. If the parents were aware and approved the sexual abuse in financial purposes, in that case we demand deprivation of the parental right, criminal prosecution for sexual abuse of a child, child trafficking and child’s pimping.
We encourage the children and the adults not to keep the violence hidden, and to report it in the nearest police stations or on the SOS phone line for children and young people 0800 1 2222 within the First Children’s Embassy in the World Megjashi.
The parents have specific responsibility in the care and protection of their children, for ensuring them a safe childhood. They should pay special attention of their children on order to protect them from possible aggressions and violence. Responsible parenthood can be the best preventive from child abuse.
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