Sexual violence increased in Armenia
Cases of juvenile crime have increased in Armenia in the fist half of 2012, totaling 108 against the 83 reported during the same period in 2011, Nelly Duryan, Head of the 3rd Division of the Criminal Investigation Department of the RA Police, told reporters on Monday.
Cases of physical and sexual violence have shown increase in number, amounting to 43 and 46 respectively.
Contrary to this, the number of crimes committed by minors has declined considerably. In the past six months, there were 187 cases against the 255 cases of last year.
Nelly Duryan says robbery is the most commonly committed crime among the minors. Ninety cases of robbery were reported in the country in the first half year. The number of juveniles involved in crimes has decreased by 33 %, with female representatives comprising a small number among them.
The police official says the measures taken by the department have significantly contributed to the decrease of juvenile delinquency. Besides, the department has opened rehabilitation centers in marzes (provinces) where specialists work with juvenile offenders.
Nelly Duryan does not agree with the belief that mainly orphans and children from vulnerable families appear in prisons.
"Poverty is not the main reason pushing a minor to offense. The problem lies in the wrong upbringing. Parents cannot organize their children's leisure in the right way," she said.
