From today, a youth investigators sector has been created in the National Police — Igor Klymenko
This was announced by the Head of the National Police today, June 1, during a joint coordination meeting of heads of law enforcement and other state bodies in the Office of the Prosecutor General.
The following is the speech of the Head of the National Police during the meeting:
For 4 months of this year, 1,470 crimes committed by minors were recorded. Of these, 728 are heavy and especially heavy.
As a rule, the age category of children with a criminal history is 13-18 years. As for the qualification, the minors committed the following crimes:
- almost half of them are thefts — (692),
- then there are robberies (87),
- fraud (63).
- intentional grievous bodily harm (20);
- robbery — (18);
- premeditated murder — (10).
These statistics are taken only as numbers. But think about it: almost one and a half thousand crimes were committed by children!
The problem of child crime is specific and dangerous. Because if children already commit crimes from an early age, it means that they have already crossed the line of obedience to the law.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of these children in the future may make breaking the law their profession. And together we must not allow this. In time to notice and come to the rescue if families are not interested in raising their own children.
Positive dynamics are observed in the number of crimes committed against children. In the last 5 years, they have decreased by 45%! (for 4 months of 2016 — 2657).
For 4 months of this year, 1284 criminal offenses against children were registered. Of these, 456 children suffered serious and particularly serious crimes. Namely from:
- crimes related to sexual violence: among them — corruption (56), rape (61).
- involvement in criminal activity - 42;
- Premeditated murders — 34;
- intentional grievous bodily harm - 10.
In situations where the child is a victim or witness of a crime, it is important to find the right approach to it so as not to inadvertently injure it more.
Therefore, we equip the police units with so-called green rooms, where the most child-friendly atmosphere is created. Currently, there are 47 such rooms.
Last year, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine held a presentation of the Barnahus model project, created by the Interdepartmental Coordination Council on Juvenile Justice.
The pilot project is being implemented in Vinnytsia. And its main goal is professional work with minors who are victims of crimes, in particular, of a violent and sexual nature. The main thing is to minimize the impact on the child's psyche during repeated interrogations during the pre-trial investigation and trial.
The current criminal procedural legislation does not single out the set of possible rights and obligations of children who have suffered criminal offenses. However, timely and professional assistance to this category of children will speed up the process of their rehabilitation and prevent manifestations of victimized behavior in the future.
The main investigative department of the NP, as a compromise, to launch the project, was offered to interrogate the child by the investigating judge, in accordance with Art. 225, 232 PCS. Questions to the child are asked only by the judge, taking into account her age characteristics and the circumstances of the offense.
Other participants in the process can ask questions to the child through the investigating judge. At the same time, all participants in the investigative action observe the interrogation using audio, video equipment and/or through glass. Only the injured child and the investigating judge are present in the room.
In addition, in order to more effectively investigate high-profile crimes committed by and against children, a separate narrow-profile sector has been created in the Main Investigation Department of the National Police today. I consider this symbolic and hope that the responsible employees will show positive results in the investigation of these proceedings.
The issues of child safety and domestic violence are closely related. From children to the police, in 2020 there were twice as many appeals for domestic violence as compared to 2019.
And it is domestic violence, conflict situations with parents that most often become the reasons that children leave their homes. In 5 months of this year, the police received 5,560 reports of the disappearance of minors.
More than 96% of the missing were found within 24 hours. During this year, 9 children are still wanted.
However, the problem that most worries us and all of society in general is the increase in child suicides and suicide attempts.
As of May 31, the police received 56 reports of fatal acts of minors. Another 154 reports of suicide attempts.
Suicides are committed by children of different age categories and in different ways. Most often, they tried to shorten the age of adolescents - from 14 to 17 years old.
As a rule, the core of the problem is in families or educational institutions. Of course, they have a certain impact on children and through the Internet. Abusers, taking advantage of their vulnerable state, enter into trust and force children to commit suicide and self-harm.
Cyberpolice officers systematically work to identify so-called “death squads” and expose their curators. During this year, 39 suicide groups have been blocked and 4 curators have been installed. We continue to work in this direction.
But I emphasize that the lion's share of child suicides occurs precisely because of misunderstandings and conflicts that the child's psyche cannot cope with. Therefore, taking this opportunity, I once again urge parents to pay more attention to their children, to be interested in their lives.
In the police, the main burden of working with children and creating a safe environment for them is assumed by employees of juvenile prevention units.
Currently in Ukraine there are 1200 “juveniles” for more than 7 million children. In half of the regions, the average load per juvenile police officer is 6-8 thousand children.
The plan is to increase the number of youth staff by about 1000. The calculation should be as follows:
One policeman is no more than three and a half thousand children in rural areas. No more than 4,000 children in the city.
This will give the youth the opportunity to properly exercise their powers.
We are also implementing a fundamentally new approach to work, which will be based on in-depth cooperation with communities on the ground.
In addition, we decided to strengthen the police presence in secondary education institutions. And our initiative was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science.
The Kyiv region will implement the pilot project. We have already trained 30 juvenile police officers there. They have an understanding of age psychology and know how to connect with adolescents.
Given the result of the pilot, we will be able to further determine how effective a police officer can be a participant in the educational process. By the way, in Ukraine there are 15 thousand secondary education institutions. Accordingly, 440 thousand teachers work there.
The police are ready to assist in creating a safe educational space. But still we have some other functions. And in addition to our projects, pedagogical and parent teams should be more actively included.
In general, children take the main model of their behavior from their own family. The way she is raised at home, how her parents behave. This is what shapes the child and the foundations of his future life.
Today in Ukraine there are 365.5 thousand large families, 218 thousand poor and more than 350 thousand families who find themselves in difficult life circumstances. In general, more than 600 thousand minors are raised in these families.
According to official data, about 4 million Ukrainians live abroad on a permanent basis. And the real figure is actually much larger. And children from these families remain in Ukraine most often under the supervision of grandparents, grandmothers or close relatives.
These categories of minors are the most vulnerable and need our increased attention. However, the police that are most often pointed out in such situations are only the tip of the iceberg formed from the responsible bodies of state power.
I want to emphasize that the problem of child safety is complex. It cannot be solved in one day by one department. Therefore, we fully support the initiative of the Attorney General to coordinate the actions of all competent bodies within the framework of this meeting.
Child safety is a problem in which the main thing is to find the right solution, not the culprit. And I am confident that together, working together, we will be able to provide children with a secure future.
