In the Vitebsk region, it is proposed to restrict the movement of obligated persons

The issue of legislative restriction of movement for obligated individuals is being initiated in the Vitebsk region, as reported to BelTA by Tamara Olekhnovich, Deputy Chairperson of the Commission for Minors' Affairs of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee. At the last meeting of the regional coordination council for monitoring compliance with Decree No. 18, the main departments of justice and internal affairs of the regional executive committee were instructed to prepare proposals for the Ministries of Justice and Internal Affairs of Belarus on the need to legally provide the opportunity to establish restrictions on the freedom of movement for negligent parents who are employed by court order under duress and maliciously violate labor discipline.

"All obligated individuals in the region are employed. At the same time, their monthly wage fund is 1.22 times higher than the amount of funds to be reimbursed. The problematic issue in this case remains the violation of labor discipline: in September alone, absenteeism by 803 obligated individuals amounted to about 8.4 thousand man-days, including 345 absentees who were absent from their workplace for more than 10 days," explained Tamara Olekhnovich.

As of October 1, there are 3.6 thousand obligated individuals residing in the Vitebsk region. Of these, 2.8 thousand are employed, 534 are in places of deprivation of liberty and LTPs, 95 are wanted, and 27 are on childcare leave. About 60 individuals are maliciously evading reimbursement of expenses for child maintenance. Over 9 months, courts in the region have recovered about Br17.6 billion from negligent parents, or 62.9% of the planned accrued amount. As of October 1 this year, 4.3 thousand children from 2.6 thousand families were in a socially dangerous situation. The commissions for minors' affairs recognized 451 children from 275 families as needing state protection and removed them from negligent parents. After rehabilitation measures, more than 290 minors (from 173 families) returned to their families.

"Overall, in almost six years of implementing Decree No. 18, aimed at protecting childhood, the situation in this area in the Vitebsk region has stabilized. The number of citizens deprived of parental rights and children taken from families is gradually decreasing. It cannot be said that the changes are happening at a rapid pace, but they are there, and this is encouraging," stated Tamara Olekhnovich. She also added that all departments are involved in the implementation of the decree, and mechanisms for work and control have been clearly developed. Interdepartmental interaction is well-established, and coordination councils, which provide an opportunity to view the issue of childhood protection on a regional scale and pinpointedly, in the context of cities and districts, are an important aid in this regard.