Povzetek: Slovensko kazensko pravo si prizadeva močneje zaščititi otroke pred zlorabami. Zato so bile v zadnjih dvajsetih letih sprejete številne spremembe Kazenskega zakonika (KZ-1). Nekatere so bile namenjene odpravi nedosledne uporabe izrazov otrok, mladoletnik in mladoletna oseba. Slovenija pri tem vztraja pri terminološki tradiciji iz obdobja Jugoslavije. Večjemu varstvu otrok so namenjene težje oblike kaznivih dejanj ali posebne inkriminacije. Pri tem je slovenski zakonodajalec nesistemski. Spregledano je tudi tudi vprašanje, ali in kdaj je etično sporno oblikovati starost kot kvalifikatorno okoliščino kaznivega dejanja. Ravno tako dogmatično sporno je vezati začetek teka zastaralnih rokov za kazenski pregon na starost žrtve.

Ključne besede: otrok žrtev, privolitvena sposobnost, zastaranje, Kazenski zakonik

Title: Criminal Law Protection of Children

Abstract: Slovenian criminal law seeks to protect children more effectively against abuse. Therefore, in the last twenty years, numerous amendments to the Penal Code have been adopted. Some of them were aimed at eliminating the terminology inconsistency in using the terms a child, a minor and a person under the age of majority. Slovenia insists on the terminological tradition from the time of Yugoslavia. Stronger protection of children is provided by higher penalties in the case of child victims or special incriminations. The Slovenian legislator is non-systematic in this regard. The question is also raised whether and when it is ethically disputable to shape the age as the qualifying circumstance of the crime. It is equally dogmatically challenging to link the beginning of the limitation period for criminal prosecution to the age of the victim.

Keywords: child victim, age of consent, statute of limitation, Penal Code