Parliament 'humanizes' penalties for crimes against children

The Moldovan Parliament liberalized Thursday the punishments for crimes against children, in a broader bill meant to ease the punishments provided by the Penal Code. The Mps adopted the draft in the first reading. It provides for 2-6 years for illegally taking children out of the country, instead of 7 to 12 years of jail now. According to the Justice Ministry, such a crime is identified only in Germany where the punishment is 5 years of penitentiary. The draft's author – the Justice Ministry – proposes a harsher sanction than in Germany, because of the enhanced social danger of this infraction. Lighter will be the punishment for parents' and other people's abuses in adopting children. Instead of 5 - 7 years, the guilty will serve sentences from 3 to 7 years. The bill dwindles the punishment for infanticide up to 5 years, instead of 3 to 7 years now. According to the Justice Ministry, the bill pursues to humanize punishments, to adjust the Moldovan law to the European Convention of Human Rights, with the expertise of the Council of Europe.