A bill to amend the Law "On the Protection of Childhood" has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, which proposes to recognize all children under the age of 18 as victims of military operations and armed conflicts. The author of the initiative is MP Anastasia Liashenko.
What does the bill propose?
The document provides for amendments to Articles 1 and 30-1 of the Law "On the Protection of Childhood", which propose to establish that the status of a child who has suffered as a result of military operations and armed conflicts is granted to every child, as well as to a person who has not reached the age of majority during military operations.
In fact, this is a universal approach - without the need to prove individual circumstances or documentary confirmation of being in a combat zone.
Justification of the initiative
The explanatory note states that war affects children not only through direct threats to life, but also through prolonged psychological and social pressure.
"The war in Ukraine affects children not only through direct physical threats, but also through deep psychological and social problems experienced by children throughout our country," the author of the bill notes.
Liashenko emphasizes that air raid sirens, interruption of schooling, changes in routine, and separation from loved ones are significant psychotraumatic factors even without direct contact with hostilities.
"Research data shows that children who regularly experience such stressful situations may have an increased risk of anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, mood swings, and concentration problems, as well as long-term consequences for development and social behavior," Liashenko notes.
Who is entitled to the status of "child of war"?
Currently, Article 30-1 of the Law "On the Protection of Childhood" does not legislatively define the circle of children who are recognized as victims, but delegates this issue to the Cabinet of Ministers. As a result, the by-laws establish a limited list of circumstances for granting the status.
According to the author, such an approach narrows the circle of children who are subject to protection and creates inequality depending on formal criteria.
It is expected that if the bill is adopted, a unified and non-discriminatory approach to recognizing children as victims of war will be ensured, and a legal basis will be created for the formation of state policy in the field of protecting children's rights during martial law and during the period of post-war reconstruction.
As previously reported, during the full-scale invasion, russia killed more than 500 Ukrainian children.
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