MOSCOW, October 6 (RAPSI) – Russia’s Investigative Committee has proposed increasing the sentences for child abuse if the offender is a relative, TASS reports on Monday.

Child abuse by relatives is a frequent occurrence in today’s society, the deputy head of the Investigative Committee, Yelena Leonenko, said at the 10th conference of regional children’s rights commissioners. The conference was focused on the state education policy as a priority of the family, society and the government.

Leonenko said that over 15,000 children were found to be victims of family violence in 2013. “In nearly 10% of these cases, the offenders were the child’s relatives,” she said. In the first half of this year, family members and other relatives were the offenders in 971 (13%) of the 8,000 child abuse cases.

The official has proposed that it be considered an aggravating circumstance if the offender in a child abuse case is a relative, the married or civil spouse of the birth parent, or a person who lives in the same flat with the child.

The Investigative Committee has also proposed rejecting adoption/fostering applications if the applicant has family members with a criminal record or certain diseases such as chronic alcoholism, drug addiction, or mental and behavioral disorders.

Leonenko urged the conference participants to support the committee’s proposal for amending Article 316 of the Criminal Code to introduce liability for the concealment of medium gravity and serious crimes committed against underage children and to increase the punishment for the concealment of especially dangerous crimes committed against children.