Prime Minister Rumen Radev discussed legislative and organizational changes aimed at the prevention of juvenile delinquency with representatives of responsible institutions in the Council of Ministers. The meeting was held on the occasion of cases of aggression in recent months, manifested by juvenile youth, including one that led to the death of a man in Plovdiv.
Strengthening the role of state institutions and the unification of their efforts in the prevention of crimes committed by juveniles and juveniles were the focus of the meeting. The inconsistent policy against antisocial behavior and the lack of effective control and punishment for years were identified among the problems that led to the devaluation of crime prevention measures and the feeling of impunity in society.
The Prime Minister was reported on the stage of readiness in the prepared amendment to the Law on Combating Antisocial Behavior of Minors and Juveniles (LACPJMN). The law was promulgated in 1958 and was last amended in 2019, with the institutions recognizing that it does not correspond to the current state of public relations. A number of public systems that are legally engaged in the prevention of child crime, but are not functioning, were reported, whose activities and functions should be corrected in the amendments to the law.
At the end of 2026, the National Program for the Prevention of Violence and Abuse of Children, adopted three years ago, will expire. Prime Minister Radev called for its scope to be expanded in the process of its update for 2027-2030, with the changes envisaged by the legislators.
The Ministry of Interior's strengthening of monitoring for illegal content with or calling for violence on the Internet, as well as the work to stop its distribution, is among the measures that should be implemented immediately, it became clear during the discussion.
The actions to prevent the use of drugs and alcohol among adolescents will be continued and the penalties for their distribution in schools will be increased, as the institutions will also strengthen coordination among themselves to identify antisocial behavior at school and work more actively with parents to overcome it.
The relevant institutions will also propose new and more engaging policies for extracurricular activities for young people, while at the same time encouraging the conditions for the inclusion of young people in sports activities, arts activities and others.