Photo: Gennady Cherkasov
The protection of the rights of children and parents with disabilities, which provides for the possibility of imprisonment for non-payment of maintenance, may affect the interests of the children themselves. Such was the opinion of the Committee for Constitutional Legislation of the Federation Council.
The bill submitted for consideration to the State Duma of the Russian Federation provides for the strengthening of the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of children and parents with disabilities in the direction of maintenance in relation to them. The bill contains provisions on the punishment of hard non-payers of maintenance with a sentence of imprisonment of up to one year.
However, the Committee on Constitutional Legislation of the Federation Council has tabled counter-arguments against this provision. Committee chairman Andrei Klishas therefore told RIA Novosti that imprisonment for non-payment of maintenance would have negative consequences for the children themselves.
According to the senator, first of all, children in the future may face problems due to a next of kin from the criminal record. This is indeed true: in this case, it will be impossible or very difficult for adult children to get a job in a number of state structures.
Second, the presence of one of the parents in prison can worsen the financial situation of the children. Eventually, children will be deprived of the opportunity to communicate with one of the parents, who will serve in places of detention.