AGE OF THE VICTIM AS THE CIRCUMSTANCE AGGRAVATING PUNISHMENT
The question of toughening of criminal liability for commission of crimes concerning the persons which have reached seventy-year age for the last decades even more often rises both representatives of the Russian criminal and legal science, and the legislator. The Criminal code of Republic of Belarus in which commission of crime concerning obviously aged person which has reached age of seventy years is the circumstance aggravating punishment is given as an example of similar reforming of the criminal law. Despite the precedents which are available in other states, it is hardly worth making changes to the existing Criminal Code of the Russian Federation as, the offered qualifying sign «concerning the person which has reached seventy-year age» actually doesn't consider such important indicators as the state of health of the victim, an opportunity and ability to understand character and value of the actions made concerning the victim or to show resistance to the guilty person. This sign only establishes the fact of achievement of certain age by the victim whereas the listed above features can arise at the person and at earlier stages of his life depending on psychophysiological features of an organism.