The State Duma adopted the law at third reading.
Involving a person under 14 in a crime, as well as similar actions involving two or more minors, will become an aggravating circumstance increasing criminal liability. The penalty may be imprisonment for up to nine years.
‘Because they are trusting, children and teenagers cannot fully understand the seriousness of an action or its consequences. Criminals exploit this, turning minors into accomplices,’ State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said earlier.
He added that this most often concerns distributing narcotic and psychotropic substances or acting as couriers for money or items obtained through fraud.
Imprisonment of up to 10 years is also prescribed for acts involving a minor in a criminal group; a serious or especially serious crime; three or more minor or medium-gravity crimes; or crimes motivated by political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or hostility, or hatred or hostility towards a social group.