State Duma deputies adopted in the second and third readings the law on life imprisonment for crimes against the sexual integrity of minors.

The adopted law amends two articles of the Russian Criminal Code: Article 131 (“Rape”) and Article 132 (“Violent acts of a sexual nature”). Both articles now provide for a life sentence for those who have already been convicted of sexual abuse of minors if they have committed a similar crime against a child under 14 years of age.

The law expands the application of the maximum penalty. According to the adopted amendments, in addition to recidivist pedophiles, a prison term of 15 to 20 years or life imprisonment can be sentenced if sexual crimes:

• committed against two or more minors under 18;
• are associated with the commission of another grave or especially grave crime against a person (for example, the use of violence).

The authors of the law were the head of the State Duma Committee on State Construction and Legislation Pavel Krasheninnikov, the head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy Alexander Khinshtein and Senator Andrey Turchak.

A bill to toughen punishment for pedophiles was submitted to parliament after  two 10-year-old girls were found dead in the city of Kiselevsk, Kemerovo region, in September 2021. 41-year-old Viktor Pesternikov, previously convicted of sexual crimes against minors, confessed to their rape and murder.

(C)MEDUZA 2022