Metropolitan of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate HilarionMOSCOW, Jan 29 Life imprisonment is an adequate punishment for pedophiles, said Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's department for external church relations. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law providing for life imprisonment for recidivist pedophiles. Earlier, a State Duma deputy from United Russia, Sultan Khamzaev, proposed introducing the death penalty for pedophiles during the period when the State Duma was discussing a bill providing for life imprisonment for previously convicted pedophiles for rape of minors.
The State Duma proposed introducing responsibility for promoting pedophilia»I do not consider the introduction of the death penalty a solution to the problem. Life imprisonment is an adequate measure to stop such illegal, immoral and criminal activities,» Metropolitan Hilarion said on the air of the «Church and the World» program «on the TV channel» Russia 24 «. He noted that pedophiles must» be kept in difficult conditions, that they must earn their own bread, the life-long isolation of such people will protect those who remain at large. «The State Duma on January 18 adopted the law in the final reading , providing for life imprisonment for recidivist pedophiles. Among the amendments rejected by the relevant committee is the introduction of the death penalty for recidivist pedophiles, as well as life-long control over them using electronic bracelets. According to the current legislation, a life sentence is set for the commission of especially serious crimes against the sexual integrity of children under 14 years old.
