Parental rights to be restricted in cases of child violence

Children may now be taken away from parents who commit acts of violence against them. This is stipulated in the new regulation “On the Procedure for Identifying Cases of Violence Against Children, Assessing the Level of Risk, Developing and Implementing a Protection Plan,” approved by government resolution on July 14.

According to the regulation, children who have suffered from violence—or are at risk of it—or their legal representatives can directly appeal to “Inson” centers, internal affairs bodies, or other responsible institutions.

“Inson” centers, in cooperation with internal affairs authorities, must examine the child’s living conditions within one day.

During this process, the center conducts a preliminary assessment of any threats to the child’s life or health. Based on this assessment, the child’s risk level is classified as either “low” or “high.”

If the risk is assessed as “high,” the internal affairs body may take one or more of the following measures:

•  Detain the perpetrator and apply procedural coercive measures;
•  Issue a protection order for the child or legal representative;
•  Remove the child from their parents (or guardians) and ensure their safety.

After the immediate danger is addressed, the “Inson” center has 14 calendar days to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the child’s circumstances.

Based on this evaluation, a child protection plan must be developed within three working days.

Persons who have committed or are prone to committing violence against children may face the following consequences:

•  Mandatory participation in correctional programs;
•  Removal of their children;
•  Partial or full restriction of parental rights;
•  Compulsory treatment at narcological institutions;
•  Court-imposed medical measures.

Cases that sparked public outrage

Recently, the public was shaken by news of a 15-year-old girl who was raped by four young men in Angren, Tashkent region. A criminal case was launched by the Angren Department of Internal Affairs on April 9, and preliminary investigations are ongoing. On July 24, Children’s Ombudsman Surayyo Rakhmonova visited Angren and personally reviewed the situation. The victim has since been transferred to a specialized medical facility in Tashkent.

Shortly afterward, it emerged that a father had abused his daughter in another district of the Tashkent region. On July 24, the man was found guilty of committing a grave crime against his child. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison under Article 118, Part 3, Subparagraphs “a,” “b,” and “e” of the Criminal Code.

It is worth noting that Shahnoza Mirziyoyeva, the youngest daughter of the President of Uzbekistan and First Deputy Director of the National Agency for Social Protection, had previously emphasized on social media the need to strengthen penalties for violence against children.