Child abuse: problems of interpretation and proving

The article deals with the problem of establishing the fact of child abuse when investigating criminal cases. The author suggests that on the grounds of analysis of national and international laws "child abuse" must involve not only physical cruelty, but also the facts of mental cruelty and parental neglect Article 156 of the Criminal Code of the RF provides for the responsibility for failure to perform legal duty to bring up the minor if this act is combined with cruel treatment of minors. The application of this rule in investigative and judicial practice enhances the ambiguity of the term "cruel treatment". On the one hand, the term "cruel treatment" and "cruelty" is identified by with physical or sexual abuse. This investigatory situation is typical in cases dealt with under art. 156 of the Criminal Code of the RF: bruises, contusions, burns, cuts on the body of the child that prove that the abuse has taken place. On the other hand, physical violence practitioners speak about mental violence and parental neglect with regard to young children whose lives and health may be at risk without proper parental care. As a rule, art. 156 of the CC of the RF is applied when establishing the indicators of physical or sexual abuse or when parental neglect is ignored by law upholders. Different factors, including the absence of formal interpretation of the term "cruel treatment" in judicial acts and Russian legislation, prevent characterization of these forms of violence as cruel treatment of children. However, the norms of international law instruments ratified by the Russian Federation, provide an interpretation of the term "child abuse". Thus, the judgment of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 01.02.2011 number 1 "On judicial practice of application of legislation regulating criminal responsibility and punishment of minors" states that in criminal proceedings against minors provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 must be taken into account. According to the norms of the Convention on the Rights of the Child ratified by the USSR on June 13, 1990 child abuse can take any form of "physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, on the part of parents, legal guardians or any other person who has to take care of the child " Thus, subject to the provisions of the CRC, investigating the crimes under Article 156 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation established facts of mental abuse or neglect can be classified as "child abuse", along with the facts of physical or sexual abuse.

protection of children's rights, crimes against minors, child abuse, cruel treatment of children, types of abuse, mental abuse, neglect

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