The Number of Beggar and Vagrant Children in the Republic Decreased

YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS: The number of beggar and vagrant children in the republic has decreased reaching from 170 in 1993 to 23 in 2009. Nelly Duryan, head of the third criminal research department of the RA Police, told Armenpress that the employees of the teenagers’ unit of the police periodically take stock and carry out relevant works with the teenagers trying to return them home.

According to her, begging is not crime, but the experience shows that it results in crimes. “It is more difficult when those children go about begging with their parents. Very often we offer jobs to parents, apply all the methods to deprive them of parental right, to send children to children’s’ house, etc, but many of them, irrespective of everything, go on with the job they have chosen – begging,” N. Duryan said.

She said that the police also come across new problems; there are girls who appear in the street because of misbehavior. According to N. Duryan, the national program of “Children’s Rights Defense” intends to found an establishment for suchlike girls, where corresponding specialists will carry out works with them.

N. Duryan noted that communicating with employees of relevant units of other countries and comparing the statistical data, we can register that in Armenia the percentage of the use of drugs and sexual encroachments is comparatively small.

About 110 cases of violence against children were registered in 2009, 28 teenagers committed suicide, the majority of who, according to the employee of the police, happens because of falling in love or despair. In regard to the suicide registered the other day N. Duryan noted that as far as she knows the family displayed strict treatment toward the teenager for a bad mark of the entrance exam; the preliminary investigation is continued.