State Duma committee supports bill under which underage prostitutes are victims, not criminals
MOSCOW. Jan 13 (Interfax) - The State Duma Committee for Constitutional Legislation and State Construction has recommended that the State Duma pass in the first reading the bill raising age for administrative liability for prostitution from 16 to 18.
The committee made such a decision at a Monday meeting.
Thus, it is proposed that underage prostitutes be considered victims, not criminals.
According to the explanatory note to the draft law, child prostitution is sexual exploitation and should not be considered an offence committed by a child.
The authors of the bill are a group of State Duma deputies of various factions, in particular Yelena Mizulina of the Just Russia party, Yaroslav Nilov of the Russian Liberal Democratic Party and Olga Borzova of the United Russia party.