Corruption of minors: current state and peculiarities of criminal law counteraction

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to establish its features and identify problematic points that may signal the ineffectiveness of such activities, based on the study and generalization of empirical data on the current state of criminal law counteraction to the corruption of minors. The article focusses on the basic indicators that quantitatively characterise the state of criminal legal counteraction to corruption of minors (corpus delicti under Article 156 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) over the past ten years (2014–2023). Based on the study and synthesis of empirical data on the current state of criminal legal counteraction to corruption of minors (criminal statistics), it is established that there are specific features of such counteraction and identified problematic issues that may signal the ineffectiveness of such activities. The data analysed using the concrete sociological method are considered in the following fields: 1) the state of detection (registration) of minors' corruption; 2) notifications of suspicion of minors' corruption and the state of closure of criminal proceedings for this crime; 3) the state of referral to court of proceedings on criminal offences under Article 156 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine; 4) the state of court consideration of proceedings on criminal offences under Article 156 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine; 5) counteraction to minors' corruption by geographical area. In each of these fields, interim conclusions were made, current trends were recorded, and ‘weaknesses’ in law enforcement were identified. It is determined that the factor of the full-scale invasion of Russian troops into the territory of Ukraine did not significantly affect the process of identifying the facts of corruption of minors. It is stated that the criminal law prohibition provided for in Article 156 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, according to all the analysed basic indicators of combating this crime, is implemented by the authorised entities in a relatively stable way. Attention is drawn to the fact that over the past decade, 3 persons were acquitted of corruption of minors, and 381 persons were convicted, i.e., 127 times more. Other features of such counteraction, identified problems, etc., which were established in the course of the study, are reflected in the conclusions of the article.