Criminal protection of children from forms of exploitation An analytical study in light of Iraqi laws

Abstract

This research addresses the most common forms of child exploitation, such as economic exploitation, sexual exploitation, and organized begging, while analyzing the reasons that contribute to the expansion of these phenomena. We also focused on evaluating the effectiveness of Iraqi penal texts and their adequacy in providing realistic protection for children. We showed that there is a clear gap between what the law stipulates in terms of guarantees and what reality witnesses in terms of weak implementation, whether due to the inadequacy of supplementary legislation, the absence of institutional mechanisms capable of enforcing the law, and the limited prevention and deterrence measures. We concluded that criminal protection for children cannot be effectively achieved unless it is supported by specialized legislation and supervisory bodies that possess real powers. We divided this research into two sections. In the first, we addressed the nature of criminal protection for children against exploitation, dividing it into two subsections. The first subsection explored the concept of criminal protection for children against exploitation, while the second outlined children's rights in the 2005 Constitution of the Republic of Iraq. In the second section, we examined the manifestations of child exploitation and the legislative and practical gaps in implementing this protection. This section comprised three subsections: the first addressed the exploitation of children in begging, the second in child labor, and the third in the sexual exploitation of children. We concluded our research by including the most important findings and recommendations.