Criminal Code of Kosovo - Legislationline

Article 249
Unlawful taking or keeping of a child
1. Whoever unlawfully takes, keeps or abducts a child from a parent, an adoptive parent,
a guardian or another person who exercises parental rights over the child or takes, keeps
or abducts a child from an institution to which the child has been entrusted or prevents
the execution of a binding decision by a competent authority for entrusting the child to
another person or institution shall be punished by imprisonment up to three (3) years.
2. When the perpetrator of the criminal offense provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article
is a parent, an adoptive parent, a guardian or another person who exercised parental rights
over the child against whom a competent authority has imposed a binding decision to
deprive such person of his or her parental or guardian rights to the child or when a
competent authority has imposed a binding decision to entrust the education or
supervision of the child to the other parent or another person, the perpetrator shall be
punished by imprisonment up to one (1) year.
3. Whoever commits the offense provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article for material
gain or other base motives shall be punished by a fine and imprisonment of one (1) to ten
(10) years.
4. When the perpetrator of the criminal offense in paragraph 2 of this Article voluntarily
returns the child, the court may waive the punishment.
Article 250
Mistreating or abandoning a child
1. A parent, adoptive parent, guardian or another person exercising parental authority
over a child who mistreats such child using physical or mental measures or violates his or
her obligation to care for and educate the child shall be punished by imprisonment of six
(6) months to three (3) years.
2. A parent, adoptive parent, guardian or another person exercising parental authority
over a child who mistreats such child using physical or mental measures or violates his or
her obligation to care for and educate the child by conscious negligence shall be punished
by imprisonment of three (3) months to three (3) years.
3. A parent, adoptive parent, guardian or another person exercising parental authority
over a child who abandons such child in a manner which endangers his or her life or
endangers or seriously impairs his or her health shall be punished by imprisonment of one
(1) to five (5) years.
4. A parent, adoptive parent, guardian or another person exercising parental authority
over a child who compels such child to work excessively or to perform work that is not
suitable for the age of the child or compels such child to beg for money or other material
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