247 PERSONS REGISTERED IN THE PEDOPHILE REGISTER

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 26 /SRNA/ – Republic of Srpska Justice Minister Miloš Bukejlović told SRNA today that 247 persons are registered in the Republic of Srpska Pedophile Register and the data is kept permanently.

“When it comes to the range of punishments for crimes of sexual exploitation and abuse of children, the Criminal Code of the Republic of Srpska prescribes various prison sentences, the maximum term of which is 30 years,” Bukejlović said. He recalled that the register of persons convicted of sexual abuse and exploitation of children was established in the Republic of Srpska in 2018. Bukejlović pointed out that a person convicted of sexual abuse and exploitation of a child cannot reside in the Republic of Srpska without being registered in the pedophile register maintained by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Srpska. He said that for specific types of criminal acts, such as sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 15, it is possible to receive a life sentence. Bukejlović said that cooperation at all levels is necessary to ensure the protection of children from sexual abuse, maltreatment and exploitation and to prevent persons legally convicted of the above-mentioned offence from committing the same or a similar offence again. “Since these are offences that affect the most vulnerable segments of society, namely children, this serious societal problem requires cooperation at all levels and with all state bodies,” Bukejlović stressed. He recalled that according to the provisions of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Srpska, a prison sentence of up to one year cannot be replaced by a fine. “A prison sentence of up to one year cannot be replaced by a fine, especially for crimes such as human trafficking, conspiracy to commit human trafficking and child trafficking, as well as for the crimes of sexual abuse and exploitation of children, and for offenders who have previously been convicted two or more times for the same offence,” Bukejlović said.