Results-oriented

Systematic work is being carried out in the Vitebsk region to protect children's rights. Measures to prevent child injuries are of great importance in this regard.

On the initiative of the Vitebsk Regional Prosecutor's Office, since 2015, in conjunction with the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, systematic work has been carried out in this area of activity. A joint decision has been made to systematically identify all potentially dangerous objects for children in the regions (quarries, abandoned buildings and houses, industrial buildings, ownerless artificial reservoirs, construction sites, etc. – where children die), located near the places of residence of minors. Passports for such objects have been created, which are constantly updated after joint raids by interested services and the elimination of threats from identified dangerous objects. New dangerous objects are identified and included in the passports. With the onset of summer holidays and the beginning of the new academic year, prosecutors check the effectiveness of this work and take prosecutorial response measures. The current year was no exception; monitoring of potentially dangerous objects was also carried out by prosecutors, and response measures were taken.

In addition, in April-May of the current year, the regional prosecutor's offices conducted an inspection of the activities of executive committees, traffic police bodies, and educational institutions to ensure the safety of children on the roads. Violations were identified regarding the formal implementation of program measures in this area of activity: roads in areas of children's movement were not equipped with "speed bumps" or speed limit signs, and educational institutions were insufficiently provided with reflective vests (Polotsk district). The latter violation is also characteristic of educational institutions in Novopolotsk. In the Rossony and Tolochin districts, when developing Plans for the Prevention of Child Injuries, road safety preventive measures were not provided. In the Verkhnedvinsk district, all measures for lighting intersections and partial repair of a certain section of the road were not completed in a timely manner.

In the Sharkovshchina and Liozno districts, the activities

commissions of executive committees on ensuring road safety were of a formal nature (current issues of road network maintenance, specific accident cases, non-fulfillment of measures for installing road signs, markings were not considered).

In a number of regions, traffic police bodies improperly monitor the implementation of previously issued orders to ensure road safety for institutions and organizations.

In 5 months of 2020, a total of 2 children died from external causes (in 5 months of 2019 – 6 children); as a result of road traffic accidents, no minors died this year.

In May-June, the regional prosecutor's office organized an inspection of compliance with the requirements of Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 18 of 24.11.2006 regarding the organization of work with persons obliged to reimburse the state for the costs of maintaining children from whom they have been deprived of parental rights. It was established that in a number of regions, the work of internal affairs bodies and coordination councils of executive committees on the implementation of Decree No. 18 with such persons is organized formally. For the reporting period, the recovery rate of these funds increased from 61.7% to 67%.

An inspection was carried out on the enforcement of legislation on crime prevention in colleges and lyceums, the commission of crimes by students of which has increased the level of juvenile delinquency in the region since the beginning of the year. Violations were revealed concerning the formal work of councils for the prevention of neglect and offenses in these institutions. In a number of colleges and lyceums, council meetings were held on days when their members were actually on vacation, on business trips, or absent from work during periods of temporary incapacity due to illness. Educational institutions did not always properly interact with internal affairs bodies and juvenile commissions regarding students who committed unlawful acts, as a result of which individual work at the place of study with them was not organized at all or was organized untimely. Shortcomings also occurred when working with students in a socially dangerous situation, and a number of other violations.

Prosecutors have submitted relevant submissions to the heads of 10 colleges and lyceums,

On April 23, 2020, a representation was also submitted to the Main Department for Education of the Regional Executive Committee by the prosecutor's office of the region. As a result, organizational and practical measures were taken to eliminate the violations, and 31 officials, including heads of institutions, were brought to disciplinary responsibility.

For 5 months of 2020, juvenile delinquency decreased from 63 to 59 crimes (by 6.3%), its share was 2.5% (2.6% nationwide). The number of children who committed socially dangerous acts before the age of criminal liability also decreased – 20 (22).

The prosecutor's office of the region will continue to work to protect the rights of children.

Assistant Prosecutor of the Region
Irina Tarasevich