Central Asia increases penalties for crimes against children
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Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan have all established legal punishments for sexual crimes against children, with penalties varying by age and severity of the act.
Uzbekistan recently introduced life imprisonment as a possible sentence for sexual violence against children. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan also allow life sentences for these crimes, while Tajikistan permits up to 25 years in prison, though the death penalty remains legally possible under a moratorium.
Turkmenistan generally imposes prison sentences of 10 to 25 years for violent sexual crimes against girls under 14, and 5 to 15 years for similar acts against boys. Penalties for sexual acts without violence also differ across the countries, ranging from a fine and corrective labor in Turkmenistan to up to 10 years imprisonment in Kyrgyzstan.
Several of the nations also include provisions for lifetime bans on certain professions for convicted offenders, and increased penalties if the offender held a position of trust over the child, such as a parent or teacher. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have no statute of limitations on particularly serious sexual crimes against children, allowing prosecution regardless of how long ago the crime occurred.
