Karastelyov: "children's curfew" in Krasnodar Territory increased fear of people in uniform

The result of one year of operation of the so-called "children's law" in the Krasnodar Territory was young people's increased fear of people in militia uniform, believes Vadim Karastelyov, expert of the Novorossisk Committee on Human Rights (NCHR). In the opinion of state officials, the expired year of the law in action saw a serious reduction in teenagers' criminality, and also a reduction of crimes committed against teenagers.

"Introduction of curfew in Novorossisk led to increased fear. We talked to both parents and children; they say about fear of people in uniform, irrespective of the time of day. Irrespective of breaking or non-breaking of some rule, a person prefers changing the side of street, when seeing a militiaman. It concerns the youth. There made a sort of fear 'vaccination' to youngsters of militia uniform," Vadim Karastelyov said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his story, families are now using the fear of parents being fined for children's violations; and they forbid children to go somewhere during the "curfew hours"; and the parents' control over children has increased in this sense.

Alexei Reznik, head of the department for minors' matters of the administration of the Krasnodar Territory, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that within the year after enactment of the "children's law" (in August, this is a year after its introduction in the Krasnodar Territory), about 80,000 children were detained at night in the street without adults' accompaniment and brought back home.

"If there were grounds to bring case about administrative offence against parents under Article 5.35 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation, an administrative proceeding was initiated, and parents were attracted to administrative responsibility for default of their duties to rear and maintain their minors. That is, for the fact of children's stay outside. Such stay is a sort of indicator of troubles in the family," Alexei Reznik said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his story, about 2000 children in socially vulnerable situation were revealed. He believes that they all were revealed due to this law.

According to Mr Karastelyov, the essence of the "children's law" ended in profanation. Instead of making spot-checks in really problematic haunts of vice, patrol crews go where they can easier catch minors - near shops, public transport stops and similar places.

According to Mr Reznik, on the other hand, broad-scale social polls held in the Krasnodar Territory, the overwhelming majority of both adults and children voiced for the children's law and supported the idea that after 10 p.m. children should not appear in the street without adults' accompaniment.

"Sociology polls have shown that up to 75 percent of children believe that all the same they should stay at home after 10 in the evening; the same share is among parents. As a whole, the idea of the "children's law", and that childhood should be better protected than earlier, was supported by 60 percent of teenagers and 76 percent of parents. We polled a huge number of respondents - over 100,000 schoolboys and over 100,000 parents," said the official.

According to his story, the law will be transformed. "We see a serious drop in teenage criminality. We see a drop in teenage night criminality, and in the count of crimes, which took the first place among teenagers - night thefts. They dropped by a third," Alexei Reznik has concluded.