In the lists, it says: do I need a registry for pedophiles
The draft doctrine on combating IT crimes, which was submitted by the Ministry of Finance, contains a provision on the possible creation of a register of people who have ever committed sexual assaults on minors. It is assumed that in this way, control over compliance with the restrictions imposed on pedophiles who have already served their sentences will be strengthened. The discussion on the creation of such a registry has been going on for a long time, but experts are still cautious about this project. For more information, see the Izvestia article.
What does the doctrine say?
On July 21, the Ministry of Finance published a draft doctrine for the development of a system for countering offenses committed using information and communication technologies. Information about the registry appeared in the chapter on the main directions of the doctrine implementation in subsection "1. Improving the effectiveness of law enforcement and control activities."
"The implementation of the doctrine <...> presupposes <...> the strengthening of criminal law instruments for attacks on the sexual integrity and sexual freedom of children committed using the Internet and other information and telecommunications networks, consideration of the creation of a register of persons who have committed unlawful attacks on the sexual integrity of minors, and the application of additional control measures against them including using technical means," the document says.
The Ministry of Finance has so far refused to provide any details of the "pedophile registry" under discussion, noting only that the doctrine as a whole is designed to systematically strengthen the protection of citizens and businesses from cybercrime and streamline the work of government agencies and organizations in this area.
— The measures listed in the doctrine are not ready—made solutions, but areas of activity. In some cases, their implementation will require additional development and adoption of regulatory changes. The draft doctrine is now available for public discussion. According to its results, the document may still be amended," the ministry said.
What was the proposed registry of pedophiles?
The appearance of the registry has been discussed for a long time. The current Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, Yana Lantratova, when she was a State Duma deputy in 2025, proposed creating a federal register of pedophiles in Russia, and a public one at that. She made such a proposal to the head of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin.
The goal was the same: so that law enforcement agencies could quickly track the movements and actions of such individuals, preventing relapses and violations of surveillance conditions. The deputies then referred to the law passed a year earlier on the prohibition for those convicted of sexual crimes to visit various places of children's stay, noting that the registry would allow monitoring compliance with the ban.
Izvestia sent a request to the Commissioner for Human Rights on this issue.
In June, State Duma deputies also requested the government to create a registry of convicted pedophiles. And at the end of last year, Anatoly Vyborny, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption, spoke about its necessity, while urging not to make it public.
Proponents of creating such a document refer to foreign experience, and indeed lists already exist in many countries. One of the toughest options is in the United States, where the registry of people who have committed sexual violence (not only against children) is public and accessible to ordinary citizens. The site contains a description of sex offenders, a list of crimes they have committed, and even a home address. However, it's impossible to find all the rapists just like that — information can be found by the name and surname of the criminal. In other countries (with rare exceptions), registries are closed, and only law enforcement agencies can use them.
Why keep an eye on released pedophiles
Victoria Chesnokova, lawyer for Monastyrsky, Zyuba, Stepanov and Partners Law Firm, explained to Izvestia that Russian legislation already provides for a number of special measures for pedophiles.
— They are limited in their ability to engage in teaching and other work involving minors. For certain categories, administrative supervision is provided after release from prison, which may include restrictions on staying in certain places, the obligation to report regularly to law enforcement agencies, and other measures," she said.
In relation to some individuals, the law provides for the imposition of compulsory medical measures, and in 2024 a law was passed banning those convicted of pedophilia from attending educational institutions.
The lawyer noted that although basic control mechanisms exist, there is a question about the effectiveness of their implementation and interdepartmental interaction.
— Practice shows that individual cases of violations of the restrictions imposed on such persons are quite common, — said the interlocutor of Izvestia. — The main problem, in my opinion, is related to the insufficient exchange of information between authorized government agencies, employers, organizations and institutions for children.
Anna Levchenko, the leader of the All-Russian movement "Hand over the pedophile!", noted that cases when convicted of sexual crimes against minors work as teachers are quite common. In 2025, in particular, the story of a 63-year-old football school coach in Perm was revealed, who worked there for many years, despite an "outstanding" judicial history in cases of violent sexual crimes in the past. The man had been working unofficially all this time — either they deliberately turned a blind eye to his past, or he himself misled the employer.
Pedophiles often organize informal clubs and sections, she added.
There is a well-known story of how a dance teacher from Tolyatti, convicted in 2011, who pleaded guilty to crimes in court, founded his non-profit organization a few years after serving his sentence (he was given only two years in prison) and continued to work with children. Moreover, he became a respected person in his field, regularly appeared on the jury of children's choreographic competitions. His criminal record resurfaced in 2022, when his activities drew the attention of one of those who had come across the criminal behavior of this man in a children's camp back in 2008 and 2010. At that time, State Duma deputies made a request to law enforcement agencies about why a convicted pedophile continues to work with children, but the story did not continue, and recently it finally ended: a man convicted of pedophilia died. However, there were no new accusations against him.
Eva Merkacheva, a member of the Human Rights Council, noted that people under administrative supervision must report to the police department once every two weeks, and the district police officer can periodically come to them and see what conditions they live in, work or not, and conduct a survey.
"But today this control is formal, very often it is not expressed in anything," she said. — Or it is expressed in the fact that this pedophile comes once a month after his release, says that everything is fine with him, and leaves.
She recalled a high-profile story when a man released after a sentence for an article about pedophilia, along with his friend, raped and killed a five-year-old girl. Eva Merkacheva talked to him later and asked, "How is this possible, because you had administrative supervision?"
— He replied: "Yes, I was." And how was this supervision carried out? "Well, I went to the police department once a month." No one came to his house, and he did not live at the address indicated by the Interior Ministry. So much for supervision," she said. — Police officers do not fully understand how dangerous these people are, especially since there are cases of strange court decisions: for example, there was a case when a drunk man urinated on the street, but schoolchildren passing by saw it — the man received 15 years. If we understood that the person who was punished under the 132nd and other articles was a real pedophile, whose inclinations were recognized by the Center of Expertise, then no one would doubt his public danger.
Anatoly Vyborny explained to Izvestia that current restrictions often do not work due to a fragmented accounting system: law enforcement officers have their own bases, doctors have their own, and so on. Currently, interdepartmental cooperation is not based on the principles of instant data exchange in digital format, which is why situations arise when a person who is prohibited from working at school still holds such a position.
Do I need a registry?
According to Anatoly Vyborny, the legislation is now moving towards digitalization of control and the expansion of the rights of internal affairs bodies in the implementation of administrative supervision. Last year, a draft law was already prepared on the right of the police to process and transfer biometric personal data of former prisoners under administrative supervision without their consent: law enforcement officers were offered access to geolocation data, payment systems, facial recognition systems, etc.
— Ultimately, our task is to create a legal framework that will make it possible to use registry data and other digital tools as effectively as possible to prevent crimes, but at the same time preserve the principles of legality and confidentiality. The doctrine on combating crime in the online environment is based on this logic, where child protection is a separate area," the deputy said.
He also called the creation of the registry one of the most pressing issues in the field of public security.
— For example, it will ensure a ban on being in places where children are massively present — summer camps, educational institutions, leisure centers. It will be possible to monitor the passage of compulsory treatment ordered by the court more effectively," the parliamentarian noted. — The function of the personnel "filter" is important. Now a person who has served his sentence in one region can move and try to get a job with children in another city. With the advent of a unified registry, this will become impossible in principle. He will close this gap in the information exchange system between the Ministry of Internal Affairs, schools and medical institutions.
According to Anatoly Vyborny, the registry should be closed, with a limited number of users: law enforcement officers, penal enforcement inspections, doctors, personnel services of educational and social institutions.
— This will allow us to maintain a balance between security, personal data protection and the constitutional rights of citizens. Thus, the registry will become a tool in the hands of professionals, and not a means of lynching or harassment," the deputy expressed confidence.
Victoria Chesnokova stressed that when creating such a registry, the rule of law should proceed from the fact that any restrictions must meet the criterion of proportionality and prevent specific risks, and not be solely punitive in nature.
"The legal assessment of this initiative depends not so much on the idea of creating a registry, as on the specific mechanisms of its functioning, the volume of information contained, the order of their use and the procedural guarantees provided," she stressed.
Eva Merkacheva noted that the appearance of the registry can be dangerous from the point of view that wrongly convicted people may be there. In addition, no one can guarantee that information will not leak, and this will ruin a person's life, the human rights activist noted.
Anna Levchenko pointed out that pedophiles also have families whose members are not to blame for the fact that their father, ex-husband, grandfather or brother committed such crimes. But they will also be harassed if anyone finds out about this fact. As a result, innocent people will suffer, and there will be even more taboos around this topic.
According to her, the registry will not solve the problem. The main problem, she noted, is not the lack of supervision at all, but the fact that pedophiles are not reported, including by the heads of institutions themselves. School principals are trying to absolve themselves of responsibility and, moreover, are beginning to put pressure on teachers who are trying to protect children. The interlocutor of the editorial office, in particular, told about the story when a young teacher in St. Petersburg wrote a statement to the Investigative Committee after learning that her colleague was storing nude pictures of female students on her computer. After that, a scandal broke out, and they tried to dismiss the applicant. Even after the court verdict, the school administration condemned her for passing information to law enforcement agencies.
Anna Levchenko noted that there are unspoken instructions for school leaders to "hush up" such scandals and not bring them to investigative action. Most often, directors try to quietly dismiss a person who is caught in a crime.
At the same time, she stressed, in order to get a job in a children's institution, a certificate of no criminal record is required anyway, and under normal conditions this barrier cannot be overcome by a pedophile.
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