What awaits children under 14 years of age for participating in sabotage: explanation from the juvenile police
During the war, Ukrainian children express themselves in different ways: some volunteer, help the military, learn to survive, and others – for various reasons – become tools of the enemy, resort to sabotage, cooperate with the occupiers. The state reacts to such cases taking into account age and circumstances, but responsibility still arises – both for the children themselves and for the parents.
Children under the age of 14 who have carried out a serious task from the Russians – a terrorist attack or sabotage – are not subject to criminal liability according to the law, but their actions will still not go unanswered. In addition, parents will be responsible for them. About this reported Head of the Juvenile Police of Ukraine, Vasyl Bohdan.
He explained that children who have not reached the age of 14 cannot be held criminally liable, as this is explicitly stated in Article 22 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. However, according to Bohdan, this does not mean that such a child can do anything – law enforcement officers react in any case.
A child who has committed a serious crime, such as a terrorist attack or sabotage, may be subject to educational measures, such as referral to a special educational institution for minors. At the same time, responsibility is provided for parents or guardians for improper performance of their parental duties.
Bohdan said that the juvenile police regularly respond to situations when parents do not fulfill their responsibilities towards children, in particular, after a full-scale invasion. The reaction covers both real-life cases and those covered in social networks or the media.
According to the chief of police, in 2022, a decrease in the number of such cases was recorded, but this is probably due to objective reasons – mass departure of families abroad, temporary occupation of certain territories, etc.
Bohdan also drew attention to the seasonality of extraordinary events. For example, in winter, the number of children falling out of windows is lower because the windows are closed and mosquito nets are not used. And in the summer, when it’s hot and the windows are opened, such cases happen more often. The dynamics of drownings are similar: in winter the danger is minimal, in summer it is maximal.
According to Bohdan, the responsibility for the child’s safety in all cases rests with the parents. The task of the police is not only to react, but also to warn: to explain that one oversight can lead to a tragedy. That is why law enforcement officers continue active preventive work.
Since the beginning of 2025, the juvenile police have already recorded 65 cases of criminal offenses of a subversive nature, in which 62 children aged 13 to 17 were involved. The police chief emphasized: these are not just statistics, but specific tragedies that could have been avoided.
Bohdan noted that there is currently a slight but steady decrease in attempts to recruit children from Russia. In his opinion, this became possible thanks to the systematic preventive work carried out by law enforcement officers.
After talking to the children involved in the sabotage, the police found out that the main motivation is usually financial. In addition, some teenagers try to assert themselves or believe that they will remain unnoticed. None of these children, Bohdan emphasized, was aware that they could die or be seriously injured. Everyone took it as an easy part-time job — sometimes not even knowing that they were working for the enemy.
According to him, the geography of such cases covers the entire country. Although more such incidents were detected in Odesa, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv regions and Kyiv, this does not mean that children in other regions are not at risk.
If the child realized that they were trying to recruit him and turned to adults or the police, this is a very important step that should not be feared. Bohdan noted that each such case is considered individually, taking into account the child’s age, specific actions and intentions. For example, if we are talking about graffiti or leaflets, this can be qualified as an administrative offense. But helping the enemy, even without realizing it, already falls under the criminal code.
However, if the child voluntarily stopped the actions and turned to the police, this is considered a mitigating circumstance. In this case, the law enforcement officers will go to meet her, support her, because they realize how difficult it is to take this step.
Bohdan emphasized: even in difficult situations, children should not be afraid to speak the truth. This is the only way to avoid the disaster that can happen if you do not intervene in time.
