New penal regulation from AKP for children driven to crime: Path to aggravated life imprisonment opens

The AKP has submitted a new legislative proposal to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey that envisions changes to the penal and enforcement system for children driven to crime.

With the proposal, while the lower and upper limits of certain prison sentences to be applied to children are being increased, it is planned to limit sentence reductions for specific crimes and to implement new regulations in the enforcement system. The regulation also envisions increasing penalties regarding the responsibilities of families.

AKP Group Deputy Chairman Leyla Şahin Usta shared the details of the proposal with the public at a press conference she held. Usta stated that, in particular, the fact that criminal organizations are directing children to commit crimes has made new regulations necessary in the current system.

PENAL LIMITS ARE BEING INCREASED

According to the proposal, sanctions to be applied for certain serious crimes regarding children in the 15-18 age group driven to crime are being aggravated. The regulation also includes provisions regarding aggravated life imprisonment and articles that increase the responsibility of families.

REGULATIONS INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSAL

With the amendment made to Article 31 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), the lower and upper limits of prison sentences have been increased. Furthermore, considering the weight of the fault based on intent, the manner in which the crime was committed, and previous convictions for intentional crimes, a regulation is envisioned that allows for no sentence reduction at the judge's discretion for children in the 15-18 age group who commit the crimes of intentional homicide and intentional injury resulting in death or serious harm.

By lowering the age limit for the application of recidivism provisions in the Turkish Penal Code from 18 to 15, the aim is to prevent children in the 15-18 age group from being used in crimes by criminal organizations and to ensure deterrence.

With the proposal, taking into account the fundamental role in a child's development, the lower and upper limits of penalties for the crime of "Violation of Obligations Arising from Family Law" in the Turkish Penal Code are being increased.

In the event that a child commits the crimes of intentional homicide or intentional injury resulting in death or serious harm due to a violation of obligations arising from family law, it is aimed to strengthen the family's responsibility over the child by increasing the penalty to be given to parents under this article by half up to double.

The proposal introduces a regulation that allows for the enforcement of prison sentences for child convicts to begin in closed juvenile penal institutions instead of directly in juvenile reformatories, and for them to be transferred to reformatories if they are determined to have good conduct.

With the proposal, regarding the crimes of intentional homicide, crimes against sexual immunity, the crime of manufacturing and trading drugs or stimulants, and the crime of establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes, the practice of counting 1 day spent in a penal institution as 2 days in the calculation of the conditional release period until the child reaches the age of 15 is being abandoned, and it is ensured that 1 day is counted as 1 day.

The proposal envisions a prison sentence of 1 to 3 years for individuals who cause a firearm to be seized by a child by failing to store it in accordance with the duty of care and diligence.

News Source: 12punto