On Thursday, the Saeima submitted to the commissions the amendments to the Criminal Law proposed by the “New Unity” (JV) faction, in order to determine that the maximum penalty for threats to commit murder and cause serious bodily harm, as well as for stalking, would be increased to imprisonment for a period of up to three years.
On Thursday, the Saeima submitted to the commissions the amendments to the Criminal Law proposed by the “New Unity” (JV) faction, in order to determine that the maximum penalty for threats to commit murder and cause serious bodily harm, as well as for stalking, would be increased to imprisonment for a period of up to three years.
The amendments were submitted by JV MPs Andrejs Yudins, Agnese Krasta, Irma Kalniņa, Inese Kalniņa, Hosams Abu Meri and Jānis Patmalnieks.
JV has pushed these amendments in response to the case of murder of a woman in Jēkabpils region, where a man murdered his ex-spouse after long-term threats and persecution.
JV’s proposal envisages amending the wording of Article 132 and the first paragraph of Article 132 of the Criminal Law, as well as the first paragraph of Article 168. Currently, the law provides for threats to commit murder or cause serious bodily harm, if there is reason to fear that these threats may be carried out, as well as for repeated or long-term tracking, surveillance, threats to this person or unwanted communication with this person, if it has reason to fear for the safety of itself or its loved ones, punishment by temporary deprivation of liberty, by probation supervision, by community service or by a fine.
Also, the law currently prescribes punishment for the malicious non-fulfillment of a ruling on protection against violence by temporary deprivation of liberty, probation supervision, community service or a fine.
In the annotation of the JV draft law, it is stated that the purpose of the amendments is to provide more effective protection to persons who are threatened with severe bodily harm or murder, whose safety is threatened by repeated or long-term tracking, surveillance, threats and unwanted communication, as well as persons who protection against violence has been established by court rulings.
According to the faction, the amendments simultaneously emphasize the high degree of harm of violence and strengthen the principle that violence is not tolerated in society.
In JV’s view, the adoption of the draft law will ensure a more efficient course of criminal proceedings, as it will allow the use of special investigation activities in the investigation of the respective criminal offenses, as well as the detention of suspects and accusers for a period of up to nine months, of which the person will be allowed to remain in custody for no longer than four during the pre-trial process. months.
