Kazakh Lawmakers OK Second Reading Of Bill On Pedophiles, Child Murderers

Members of Kazakh parliament's lower chamber, the Mazhilis, on February 28 approved the second reading of a bill that would allow life imprisonment for individuals convicted of pedophilia and/or the murder of children. The bill comes after President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev ordered in his address to the nation in September 2023 that such legislation was needed, the parliament's press service said. The bill also toughens the punishment for assaulting and beating children and "helpless" people. Toqaev initiated the bill amid an outcry by human rights groups about a rise in domestic violence in the Central Asian nation. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.