Tougher punishment: Sex crimes in Azerbaijan

The number of crimes involving sexual violence has been recently increased among the crimes committed in the country. It was found that growth in the number of crimes related to sexual integrity and freedom causes a concern in the society. Unfortunately, there are young girls and boys among the victims of these crimes, along with women. Advocates think that if castration is used, the number of such crimes will decrease.

The crimes against sexual integrity and personal freedom are divided into five types in the Azerbaijani Criminal Code. Offenders are sentenced from 8-15 years for these crimes. It should be noted that the purpose of punishment is to correct the individual, re-educate. The Azerbaijani Heinous Crimes Court received 32 cases of rape in January-August this year. One notable fact is the violence of a sexual nature, committed towards young boys. Besides the crimes of this category, there are cases under investigation. Their number is extremely large.

In fact, it is clear that some cases of sexual violence in Azerbaijan remain unsolved. They are kept back. Mentality plays important role. Victims of this type of crime, their relatives, family members try not to disclose these cases.

If the offender is a family member, everybody is trying to hide it to avoid shame. Crimes of violence are vulnerable cases, the Public Association "Enlightenment in human rights" chairman, human rights activist Irada Javadova told Trend.

She said that the practice often has suspicious moments. She said that serious investigations must be conducted to prevent such crimes. A human rights activist said that crimes of a violent nature are committed mostly against minors. She said that one can find evidence of rape of minors and their murder after that.

"Those, who had committed such a crime, will be sentenced for 15 years under Azerbaijani laws. Our legislation does not have tougher penalty than this one. The court does not often sentence the perpetrators of this crime to 15 years. The facts making the offender's penalty easier are taken into account. These are the first conviction and other moments. One can propose not to take into account these facts towards violators. If the court does not consider them in relation to the offender, the penalty can be tightened ", Javadova said.

Javadova thinks that boys are mostly raped. She said that they are exposed to violence at school. Schools have great responsibility to prevent crimes against people.

"In this regard, schools must conduct enlightenment activity. Psychologists must work at schools. They should conduct lessons in that area", she said.

She said that places must be indicated for victims to apply there.

"In some cases, adolescents, who became victims of violence, do not know where to apply. It is necessary to establish special organizations. Victims of violence must get advice there, " she said.

Sexual offenses are acts of a group of crimes, chief psychiatrist of the Health Ministry Garay Geraybeyli told Trend. He said that sexual offense is the offense of sexual behavior.

"Rape is a crime. That is the opposite side thinks that intercourse is such a crime as rape. If the rape was committed against the will of one side, then it is a crime," he said.

He said that rape as a crime of a sexual nature is committed by people having problems in the personal sphere. He said that rape is the most common crime among the crimes of a sexual nature, and that a man whom the public considers as a strong man often commits rape. According to him, violators rapists are miserable people.

"Psychological research shows that rape, sexual crimes are committed by people who have problems in the personal sphere. First, the perpetrators of sexual violence are passive, desublimated people who depend on mothers, grandmothers, sisters from early age. After they marry, they depend on wives. "Women govern helpless men. This is an ongoing psychodynamic factor.

Such people have a permanent complex. They are always trying to get rid of it. These people for many years are aggressive against women. For example, they are always dependent on their wives. They often attempt to show themselves in normal circumstances. They do not possess such strength of will. They always swallow all the claims. But aggression, accumulated inside, does not burst out in a sober state. Such people commit violence being drunk or under the influence of drugs. It increases their "courage" in their own eyes.

Second, people who commit violence are those who have problems in sexual life. These are people who suffer from the reduction in potency. These people feel their abnormality, while entering into a normal relationship with women. They hesitate to enter into relationship with normal women, because they may feel that they are impotent. There are those who display their weakness in the family life. Wives feel it and reproach them. These people are trying to prove their "manliness" while using violence, Geraybeyli said.

Chief psychologist said that the violence is perpetrated towards children. People who commit such an act, are those who have problems in sexual life.

"A child is the object not formed for sexual life. Child knows nothing about sex. Thus, the child can not differentiate a strong or weak partner. That is, these people are looking for a partner who is not able to identify their weaknesses. They choose children or corpses for sex. Such crimes are rare. They are considered the most brutal," Geraybeyli said.

Geraybeyli explains murders taking place during the rape. Sometimes normal sex is impossible between a man and a woman in the family. Then a man feels dependence on a woman. A dispute arises. As a result, it becomes a cause for serious offenses. First of all, alcohol drinking plays a major role in sexual crimes. This man kills a woman with a knife, and then enters into a sexual relationship with a corpse. A criminalist and a lawyer can give a very different assessment of this situation. From a psychological point of view, sexual relations with corpse means that the person who committed it, tried to prove his "manliness."

As to toughening the penalty for such crimes, Geraybeyli said that impunity leads to an increase in the number of crimes. Toughening of penalties would reduce such crimes. But the expert did not consider tightening as the only way out of the situation.

"It is necessary to strengthen enlightenment. There is a need in teaching normal relations between men and women at schools," Geraybeyli said.


/Trend/