PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM VIOLENCE: A NEW STAGE IN STRENGTHENING LEGAL GUARANTEES AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN UZBEKISTAN

Ensuring a safe childhood is a key priority of Uzbekistan’s national policy. Safeguarding child's life, health, and physical and psychological integrity is central to the country's system of legal protections. The adopted legislative amendments reflect the principle of zero tolerance for violence against children. They substantially toughen liability for particularly serious crimes against minors and expand the mechanisms for protecting their rights and legitimate interests.

The new legal provisions mark an important stage in improving the system for protecting children from all forms of violence, combining stronger criminal liability, additional procedural safeguards, timely legal assistance for victims, and greater responsibility of adults for children’s safety and well-being.

Protecting children from violence is a key indicator indicators of social well-being, institutional effectiveness, and society's sense of responsibility. Ensuring a child’s safety, respecting their dignity, and safeguarding their right to full development are of fundamental importance for creating a healthy social environment.

In Uzbekistan, legislation in this area is being improved consistently and systematically. The adoption of the Law “On the Protection of Children from All Forms of Violence” in 2024, the approval of the Strategy for Protecting Children from All Forms of Violence for 2026–2030, and the further development of legal mechanisms provide a comprehensive foundation for strengthening guarantees of children’s rights.

A further significant step was the adoption of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Connection with Improving the System for Protecting Children from All Forms of Violence”, aimed at strengthening the protection of minors and improving the effectiveness of measures to prevent violence.

One of the key areas of the legislative amendments is the significant strengthening of criminal liability for especially serious crimes against the sexual inviolability of children. In particular, the law provides for sentences of 15 to 25 years’ imprisonment or life imprisonment for specified sexual offences committed against children under the age of fourteen. The legal consequences of intentional crimes resulting in the death of a child have also been increased.

The expansion of procedural safeguards for children who have experienced or witnessed violence is of particular importance. The law provides for qualified legal assistance at the expense of the state, additional requirements for conducting procedural actions involving minors, and the mandatory participation of representatives of guardianship and trusteeship authorities in cases specified by law where violence has been committed by a child’s parents, legal representatives, or other relatives.

These measures are important from both legal and psychosocial perspectives. A child who has experienced violence needs timely assistance, protection from additional pressure, and attentive support from specialists. The expansion of procedural safeguards creates additional conditions for protecting the child’s interests at every stage of the relevant proceedings.

Another important area of the legislative reforms is increasing the responsibility of adults for the safety and well-being of children. Liability is being strengthened for failure to fulfil duties related to the upbringing of minors and for forms of neglect of their basic needs as defined by law.

Particular attention is being paid to ensuring safety in educational institutions. Specifically, an additional ground is being introduced for terminating the employment contract of an employee of an educational organisation who has been held liable for committing violence against a child. This measure underscores the need to create a safe educational environment based on respect for the dignity, rights, and interests of every student.

The legislative amendments also address the prevention of offences, the improvement of mechanisms for protecting minors from information that may harm their health, and increased accountability for ensuring compliance with decisions issued by competent authorities responsible for children’s matters.

The social significance of these measures lies in their contribution to a comprehensive child protection system encompassing the prevention of violence, timely identification of threats, legal support for victims, and accountability of those responsible for ensuring children’s safety. This approach helps strengthen cooperation among state authorities, families, educational institutions, and social services. At the same time, legal literacy among the population, professional training of specialists, and society’s intolerance of all forms of violence against minors are becoming increasingly important.

The improvement of legislation on protecting children from all forms of violence marks a new stage in the development of legal guarantees and social responsibility in Uzbekistan. Its significance lies in strengthening liability for crimes against children, expanding access to assistance, and establishing more effective mechanisms for preventing violence.

Protecting childhood means protecting the future of society. Creating conditions in which every child can grow, learn, and develop in safety, while their life, health, dignity, and rights are recognised as fundamental values, is one of the most important foundations for Uzbekistan’s sustainable development and the well-being of future generations.

Official source: Full text of the law on the official website of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan