Deputies of the Vitebsk Regional Council propose to exempt children from dysfunctional families from paying for club activities

October 20, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Deputies of the Vitebsk Regional Council propose that city and district executive committees exempt children and adolescents in a socially dangerous situation, registered with juvenile inspection commissions, from paying for classes in paid clubs and sections of cultural and sports institutions. They made this decision today at an ordinary session of the regional council, a BELTA correspondent reports. As noted by Tamara Olekhnovich, Deputy Chairperson of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Commission for Juvenile Affairs, about 10,000 children from disadvantaged, low-income families, and adolescents registered with juvenile inspection commissions attend clubs and sections. However, while they attend educational institutions for free, interest groups in cultural and sports institutions operate on a fee basis. In her opinion, exemption from payment will help organize leisure activities for children in a socially dangerous situation. Despite the fact that since 2006, there has been a downward trend in juvenile delinquency in the region (its share decreased from 8.1% to 6.4%, and the number of crimes decreased from 1111 to 552), this year about 4,000 adolescents have been brought to administrative responsibility for drinking alcoholic beverages and petty hooliganism. Based on the results of 9 months, an increase in juvenile delinquency has been recorded in 12 regions of the oblast. -0-