RIGHTS-ROMANIA: Tougher Laws Against Child Abuse

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By Marian Chiriac

BUCHAREST,, Oct 25 2002 (IPS) - A bill adopted Thursday aims to curb rising incidence of child abuse in this impoverished East European nation.

The bill will lead to tougher punishment against those found guilty of sexual exploitation of children. It strengthens punishment for forcing children into prostitution or pornography. The bill also covers parents who exploit their children.

Under new legislation imprisonment for raping minors aged under 14 can be doubled to 25 years. Sexual intercourse with boys up to 15 years of age can be punished with up to ten years in jail.

The measures came after Prime Minister Adrian Nastase and other officials called for more severe punishment in cases of paedophilia. Over the last four weeks three western citizens have been arrested for sexual abuse of minors.

Nastase argued that the older laws were "not enough of a deterrent" and that Romania "could be seen as a paradise for paedophiles around the world." He said he personally would like reintroduction of the death penalty in such cases, a view shared by many Romanians. But Romania has yet to align its legislation with Western standards as it moves towards joining the European Union.

"Paedophilia is a problem constantly on the rise," says George Roman, project coordinator for the Save the Children foundation. "We don’t know the exact extent of the problem as child victims are helpless and don’t file complaints."

Of about 21,000 sexual crimes reported over the past ten years, almost 3,000 related to children under 13 years of age, according to official data. The real incidence is believed to be far higher.

Up to 20 per cent of the victims were abused by members of their own families, official data shows. Most of the victims were street children. There are an estimated 2,000 homeless children in Romania. Save the Children believes that about 5 per cent of them are in prostitution. "Children living in sewers, around railway stations and in parks become prey to paedophiles," says Gabriela Coman from the Romanian Authority for Child Protection (ANPCA). "Some children accept sexual relations with adults – Romanians or foreigners – to survive and earn a living." Children often go into prostitution for a hot meal, some clothes and a little money, Coman says.

A child gave a statement last week that a U.S. citizen "invited me in his home and had unlawful sexual relations." The statement added: "Finally, he paid me only 18 dollars." The man has been arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a minor.

This case has been under a media spotlight because the U.S. citizen arrested is close to ranking Romanian politicians, including an adviser to President Ion Iliescu. The man arrested is also director of the Centre for Romanian Studies in Iasi (Western Romania). The centre is housed in a building owned by Romania’s foreign espionage service.

Fifteen foreigners – from Austria, Germany, France, Britain, Turkey and the United States – have been arrested in Romania since 1996 and charged with unlawful sex with children aged nine to 15. But almost all of them have been let off.

Local authorities declined to indicate the number of Romanians arrested or sentenced on similar charges.

"It remains to be seen how soon the new legislation will be able to combat these evils," says journalist Cristina Liberis. "It is not enough to have a tough legislation if the family and local community are not more involved in educating and protecting the young generation." (END/IPS/EU/HD/MC/SS/02)

RIGHTS-ROMANIA: Tougher Laws Against Child Abuse

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Marian Chiriac

BUCHAREST, Oct 25 2002 (IPS) - A bill adopted Thursday aims to curb rising incidence of child abuse in this impoverished East European nation.
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