The number of serious crimes committed by children is on the rise in Moldova. This year so far, the minors committed five murders. In a news conference on Wednesday, prosecutor Iurie Perevoznic said this figure is worrisome, Info-Prim Neo reports. “Regretfully, the criminological situation has not improved. The five murders committed by underage persons last month shows that the relevant institutions must step up the preventative activities. The education institutions and the local public authorities should organize the work of the social assistants,” said Iurie Perevoznic, who heads the Minors and Human Rights Division of the Prosecutor General’s Office. Among the main factors that lead to the commission of crimes by minors are the vicious practices learned by them on the street and the lack of communication with the parents, the family. Though the number of offenses committed by minors is rather high, few of them are jailed. The judges prefer to impose other forms of punishment on them. As many as 52 minors are now held at the penitentiary for minors in Lipcani. Iurie Perevoznic spoke about the necessity of questioning the culprit minors only in special rooms that will provide psychological comfort and will determine them to make confessions. There have been outfitted only two such rooms. Last year the minors committed eight murders. There were recorded 53 acts of hooliganism, 54 cases of sexual abuse, 40 cases involving children who use drugs, and 10 cases of causing of serious injuries. 1 707 criminal cases of the started 2 057 cases were tried.