Uzbekistan is considering changes to how cases of sexual harassment involving minors are handled. MPs from the Adolat and Milliy Tiklanish party groups in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis discussed the relevant bill Monday.
The bill would amend the Administrative Liability Code. At the Adolat group's meeting, it was noted that current rules provide no separate procedure for cases of sexual harassment against children, leaving unresolved the question of whether such acts should be classified as administrative offenses or crimes.
Article 41-1 of the Code defines sexual harassment as a single serious act, or repeated unwelcome acts, of a sexual nature that demean a person's honor and dignity. These may include comments on a person's appearance or body, gestures, touching or sexually suggestive advances.
The offense is punishable by a fine of 2 to 5 base calculation units (880,000 to 2.2 million soums) or administrative detention of up to five days. A repeat offense within a year carries a fine of 5 to 7 units (up to 3.08 million soums) or detention of up to 15 days.
What would change?
Under current rules, an administrative offense report, together with other documents and evidence, must be sent to the authority or official empowered to hear the case within three days of the offense being committed or detected.
The bill would set a separate procedure for cases involving minors. A prosecutor would have to review the materials before the case could be handled as an administrative matter.
If the prosecutor finds no signs of a crime, the report, evidence and other documents would have to be sent within one day to the district or city criminal court. The submission would include the victim's statement, medical and other expert findings, the decision declining to open a criminal case, and other documents confirming what occurred.
The approach was previously set out in a presidential decree of March 3, 2026, on strengthening the protection of women's and children's rights. The decree provides that administrative case files on sexual harassment of minors should go to court only after a prosecutor finds no signs of a crime.
Milliy Tiklanish said the bill was drafted after studying the experience of Germany, South Korea and other countries.
Adolat MP Ziyodbek Yunusov said the changes should prevent acts that show signs of a crime from remaining within administrative proceedings, and establish a clear procedure for handling such cases.
Milliy Tiklanish's Davron Aripov said additional legal review by prosecutors in administrative cases involving minors should help protect children from various forms of violence and prevent sexual acts against them.
Both party groups backed the bill.
Broader bill to toughen penalties for violence against children
Separately, the Adolat group has submitted to the Legislative Chamber a wider bill aimed at increasing liability for violence against children. It would amend the Criminal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, the Administrative Liability Code and several other laws.
The Council of the Legislative Chamber decided to place the bill on the agenda of the next plenary session and designated the Committee on Democratic Institutions and Civil Society Development as the responsible body. The lower house is scheduled to consider it on September 29.
Case of alleged abuse of 5-year-old girl in Namangan province
The debate over tougher legislation comes amid a high-profile case involving the alleged sexual abuse of a 5-year-old girl at a state kindergarten in Uchkurgan district, Namangan province.
On September 12, the district police investigation department opened a criminal case under Part 4 of Article 118 of the Criminal Code, which covers rape of a person under 14. A kindergarten employee, identified as K.M., was detained on suspicion and remanded in custody.
The girl's mother said the alleged abuse may have happened more than once. She said her daughter has become more fearful since the incident and is afraid to walk past the kindergarten.
