Child cruelty is included in the second paragraph of the criminal offence “neglect or abuse of a minor” in the 192 article of the slovenian criminal code. It is a part of the XXI. chapter, covering criminal of-fences against marriage, family and youth. They are meant for the protection of minors against any serious act towards them or a failure to act of those, who are obliged to care for them and raise them. Child abuse has been recognized as a form of family violence. Numerous international documents and professional associations emphasize that children, due to their helplessness and being unable to choose their own family, are in need of special protection from the state.
Studies have shown that child abuse as a phenomena is anything but negligible in our country as well. There are more cases involving the criminal offence of child neglect (paragraph 1 of article 192) than the offence of child cruelty (paragraph 2 of article 192), but slovenian courts have dealt with some open questions about the second paragraph of the article 192 as well.
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