MOSCOW, September 5 (Itar-Tass) — A bill on electronic collars for reoffending paedophiles has been submitted to the State Duma lower house of the Russian parliament, according to its official website.
The author of the initiative is Anton Belyakov, a lawmaker from the Just Russia faction. The bill offers "a package of measures to prevent crimes against sexual inviolability of minors and their protection from encroachments by paedophiles," he said.
These include tracking the paedophile’s movements through the GLONASS global positioning system thanks to non-removable electronic means of control worn by the paedophile, and creating an open database of all the child molesters in the country.
Belyakov reminded that on July 1, 2010, the convention on protecting children from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse came into effect, which envisions that every state, within the framework of its national legislation, should contribute to the spreading of effective programs with respect to the persons who committed sex crimes against minors.
"At present, Russian legislation contains no norms envisioning the necessary measures to prevent sex crimes against minors," the lawmaker reminded.
The lack of such protection measures resulted in a steady increase in these crimes despite tougher penalties.
For example, the Investigative Committee said more than 9,500 sex crimes against underage children were committed in 2010, including 960 rapes. Of these, 384 rapes reportedly involved children under 14 years of age, a three-time increase from 2008.
"That it why the bill has been drawn. It offers a range of effective preventive measures, along with the already suggested chemical castration and the implementation of the general trend towards toughening criminal responsibility, in order to decrease the number of crimes (especially repeated offences) committed by paedophiles," the Just Russia member said.
In late December, Russian lawmakers passed a bill banning paedophiles from working at children's educational, medical and sport organizations. The legislation applies to the citizens under criminal investigation in connection with the commission of crimes against life, health, freedom, honor and dignity of the child. It commits all the persons wishing to work at school to showing a certificate to the employer stating the lack of criminal conviction under the above articles.
In July 2011, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev submitted a bill to the State Duma on life imprisonment for reoffending paedophiles, if their victims are under 14 years of age. The bill cancels suspended sentences and parole for child molesters. Sources at the State Duma told Itar-Tass the bill might be approved as early as the first half of September.