In Russia, there is a "public demand for earlier punishment," claims VTsIOM.
"From the age of 14, a teenager can already bear criminal liability, according to our fellow citizens," says in a review by the VTsIOM Analytical Center dedicated to juvenile delinquency.
Results of the survey on the age of criminal responsibility
The most common age of responsibility (40%) among respondents was 14 years old. 18% believed it was 16 years old, and 20% said 12 years or younger. The average age was 14,3 years.
Only one in nine respondents supports the proposal to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18 years.
Assessing the level of juvenile delinquency
Thirty-six percent of Russians believe that juvenile crime rates have increased compared to their youth, while 28% believe they have decreased.
Current legislation and initiatives
Currently, the general age of criminal responsibility in Russia is 16 years, and for a number of serious crimes it is 14 years.
In June, the head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Alexander Bastrykin proposed Send teenagers aged 12 and older, as well as their parents, to prison. The initiative was not supported at the time.