Juvenile delinquency down 19%

In the first six months of this year, the police recorded 719 offenses committed by or involving juveniles, which is by almost 19 percent less than in the similar period last year, Info-Prim Neo reports, citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 796 minors were involved in performing those offenses, 620 of whom attended no studies and had no jobs. 135 crimes were committed by groups and 15 offenses were committed while intoxicated or drunk. Recent statistics reveal a 25 percent decrease in the number of grievous bodily harm cases – 479. At the same time, murder and robbery incidences rose alarmingly by almost 170 percent and 150 percent, respectively. Over January-June, out of 245 persons found to be practicing prostitution, 32 were minors. According to the Interior Ministry, the problem of juvenile delinquency remains to be one of the severest in Moldova. Poverty, single-parent families, alcohol addiction among parents, and the apathy of the community are the main factors that generate the progressive growth of juvenile delinquency. To battle criminality among the youth, the officers of the Ministry's Vice division have been lecturing courses on a variety of legal issues in educational establishments.