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increase the imposed total most serious punishment by no more than one half, but the thus
increased punishment cannot exceed the sum of the individual punishments, or the
maximal size stipulated for the respective kind of punishment. Very often trafficking is
combined with multiple acts of rape, severe injuries, and threats with murder, which are
separate crimes and cannot be absorbed by the crime of trafficking. It is difficult to prove
most of these crimes and to seek justice for them. In most of the cases these crimes remain
unpunished.
The crimes against sexual exploitation, mentioned above, and namely, persuasion to
prostitution and abduction for the purpose of debauchery are clearly trafficking- related
crimes. The correlation between them and the crimes of trafficking is dealt by the
aforementioned Interpretative Decision No. 2 of the Supreme Court of Cassation.
Of relevance to sexual abuse of children are also most of the crimes against Marriage, Youth and
the Family- Chapter 4 of the Criminal Code:
1.Who compels somebody by violent means to enter matrimony and for this reason the marriage
is annulled shall be punished by imprisonment of up to three years; Who abducts a female
person with the purpose of compelling her to enter matrimony shall be punished by
imprisonment of up to three years, and if the victim is underage the punishment shall be
imprisonment of up to five years. 32
2.A parent or other relative who receives ransom in order to permit entering matrimony by his
daughter or a relative shall be punished by imprisonment of up to one year or by a fine of one
hundred to three hundred levs, as well as by public reprimand. The same punishment shall be
imposed to those who gives or mediates in the giving and receipt of such a ransom. 33
3.A parent or a guardian, who leaves a person under parental care or guardianship without
supervision and enough care, thus creating a danger for his physical, mental or moral
development, shall be punished by imprisonment of up to one year or by corrective labour, as
well as by public reprobation. 34
4.Who compels a minor or underage person to commit a crime or to prostitute shall be
punished by imprisonment of up to five years and by public reprobation. If harmful
consequences have occurred for the physical, mental or moral development of the aggrieved,
unless the act represents a more serious crime, the punishment shall be imprisonment of one to
six years and public reprobation. 35
5.Who tortures a minor or underage person placed under his care or whose bringing up is
assigned to him, unless the act represents a more serious crime, shall be punished by
imprisonment of up to one year or by corrective labour, as well as by public reprobation. 36
32
33
34
35
36
Penal Code, Article 177
Penal Code, Article 178
Penal Code, Article 182
Penal Code, Article 188
Penal Code, Article 187
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