Incestuous Child Pregnancy Case Investigated Under Mild Criminal Offense 

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has released a statement by which it reports of new circumstances revealed by the Armavir department of the investigative committee in a criminal case over sexual relation with a female minor (a person under 16).

According to the Investigative Committee, on May 13, 2019, at 15:20 one of Armenia’s medial institutions reported to the police that a 13-year-old female resident of Armavir Marz in her 22nr-23rd week of pregnancy had turned to the medical center for health care.

If consensual, a sexual relationship with a minor is a criminal offense under the Criminal Code’s Article 141, Part 3, Clause 2. It states that a sexual act or other actions of sexual nature by a person above 18 years old with a person obviously under 16, under circumstances that criminal features of “rape”, “violent acts of sexual nature”, “forcing a person into actions of sexual nature” are missing, is punishable by a fine in an amount 100-250 times the minimum wage, or by maximum 2 years of imprisonment. This is the reason why the medical institutions are obliged to report to the police of circumstances involving alleged criminal offenses.

The Investigative Committee, opened an investigation based on the above-stated criminal offense article and recognized the female minor of Armavir marz as a victim. In the meanwhile, the pregnant child delivered on August 12, 2019 when preliminary investigation was ongoing.

The Investigative Committee reports that as a result of “necessary investigative and legal actions, including interrogations, forensic examinations involving genetic tests etc.” it was found out that the father of the victim was the cause of her pregnancy. The father is arrested.

The law enforcement body’s press statement, however, clearly indicates that this shocking crime against a child remains under the mildest criminal offense, and does not involve domestic violence, pedophilia, incest with a minor and other possible offenses. The press statement also contains worrisome language that “the father of the victim’s child is the victim’s own father” hinting to a perverted acknowledgement of ‘fatherhood.’

The case still remains under preliminary investigation.