site.btaParliament Backs Equal Protection against Sexual Offences for 15- and 16-Year-Olds

Bulgaria's Parliament on Wednesday voted, 141-0 with 27 abstentions, to pass on first reading amendments to the Penal Code extending the same legal protection against sexual offences to children aged 15 and 16 as to those under 14. The revisions, tabled by MPs of MRF - New Beginning, were adopted without a debate. MPs of almost all parliamentary groups seconded the revisions. The abstentions came from the MPs of Vazrazhdane and three lawmakers of BSP - United Left.

Presenting the bill on behalf of the sponsors, Hamid Hamid MP of MRF - New Beginning said it modifies substantially the theory of criminal law that distinguishes between two age groups of minors: those under 14 (infants) and those between 14 and 18 (underage persons). Hamid explained that the motion amends seven provisions in the Penal Code chapter that deals with sexual offences against infants, expanding the scope of protected persons to include 15- and 16-year-olds. "As far as we are concerned, 15- and 16-year-olds are just as much children as 14-year-olds," the MP argued. He added that the relevance of the bill can be assessed in the context of the unprecedented recent criminal case near the Petrohan lodge and the Okolchitsa peak, where one of the victims was aged 15.

According to the reasons to the bill, many countries have already amended their legislation to stiffen the penalties and provide special protection to minors against sexual offences. The sponsors argue that, contrary to good morals, solid family mainstays and conditions for prevention, the effective version of the Penal Code treats 14-year-olds as fully capable of understanding the consequences of their actions, which is why the proposal raises this age threshold to 16.

For example, under the current Penal Code, molesting a child aged under 14 carries one to six years' imprisonment. The amendments propose that this penal sanction should also apply to offences against children aged up to 16.