Uzbekistan’s Senate has approved legislation introducing life imprisonment for certain sexual crimes against children under the age of 14.
The law, approved on October 2, strengthens criminal liability for sexual violence against minors. It will enter into force after being signed by the president, according to Gazeta.uz.
Under the amendments, rape of a child under 14, as well as the forcible satisfaction of sexual urges in an unnatural form against such a child, will be punishable by up to 25 years in prison or life imprisonment. The current penalty is 15 to 20 years.
The amendments also remove the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution and enforcement of convictions for particularly serious crimes against the sexual integrity of children.
For intentional crimes resulting in a child’s death, suspended sentences and parole will be prohibited.
Additional protections for child victims
The legislation also strengthens safeguards for minors during criminal investigations.
Child victims of violence and witnesses will be entitled to free legal assistance from the first procedural action. Interviews with minor victims will be required to be video-recorded.
A confrontation between a child and a suspect may take place only on the basis of a special decision by an investigator, prosecutor or court.
The amendments also give employers the right to dismiss employees of educational and childcare institutions for violence against children.
According to data cited by Gazeta.uz, the number of complaints involving sexual harassment of minors in Uzbekistan increased from 56 in 2023 to 141 in 2025. During the same period, hundreds of criminal cases involving sexual violence against children under 14 were recorded.
