Models of criminal sanctions for minors

URL: https://dspace.academy.police.md/models-of-criminal-sanctions-for-minors/

Data: 2026

The institution of criminal sanctioning of minors is today one of the most sensitive areas of criminal law, considering, on the one hand, the need for an effective state response to the criminal act committed and, on the other hand, the obligation to treat the minor as a developing person who needs protection, care and social reintegration when he or she comes into contact with the justice system. The issue of criminal liability and criminal sanctioning of minors remains highly topical, as demonstrated by the new requirements of juvenile justice and by the increased attention that the international community gives to the consolidation of criminal policies in relation to juvenile offenders. In this scientific paper we highlight several models of criminal response to juvenile crime: the repressive model, the protectionist model, the restorative model and the mixed model. Each of these models has its own particularities, which we describe through the prism of international regulations and relevant doctrinal interpretations. At the same time, we emphasize the advantages and vulnerabilities of each model, as well as the specific features of the mixed model within the criminal law of the Republic of Moldova.