Parents who do not pay child support risk arrest or community service in Moldova

Parents who evade paying child support could be sanctioned with up to 15 days of administrative arrest or unpaid community service. The provision is included in a draft law that was passed in the first reading by 83 MPs today.

The legislative initiative was developed by a group of lawmakers from the  Solidarity Party’s (PAS) parliamentary faction and aims to align the legal framework with international standards on the protection of children’s rights and the prevention of domestic violence.

The document was presented at the plenary meeting by MP Marina Morozova. She emphasized that the draft law directly targets the protection of children in vulnerable situations:

“It is a draft that concerns one of our most important responsibilities – the protection of the child. We are talking about children who live in families marked by conflict, children who become victims of violence or neglect, children who are caught between adults’ decisions, which are not always in their best interest.”

She also highlighted the scale of the non‑payment of child support, citing worrying data:

“The data show that, following a divorce or the separation of parents, most problems concern the establishment and enforcement of the maintenance obligation. We have approximately 28,000 enforcement documents regarding child support collection, and more than 30,000 children do not regularly receive this support.”

Morozova drew attention to the large arrears accumulated in these cases.

“Thirty‑nine percent of these cases show arrears of more than 24 months, which means that thousands of children have not received any financial support for years. There are even situations where arrears reach 10 or even 16 years. A simple calculation shows that parents’ debts for child support amount to 900 million lei annually,” the PAS MP said.

The draft law provides for amendments to the Code of Offences, so that failure to fulfill the obligation to pay child support is no longer sanctioned only by a fine. Instead, parents who do not respect their obligations could be sanctioned with administrative arrest from 10 to 15 days or unpaid community service, between 45 and 60 hours.

At the same time, the draft proposes additional measures, such as a travel ban for persons who evade paying child support. The MP stressed that these measures were necessary to protect children:

“Child support for a minor must be paid on time, because it is a parental obligation. The child is the one who benefits from this support, and it is the child who suffers when it is not paid.”

Data presented by the initiators show that approximately 30,000 children of Moldova do not receive child support regularly. At the same time, only a small number of children receive this support constantly.

The draft law also sees that the court will determine the child’s residence, taking into account more factors, including the risk of violence, the child’s attachment to each parent and living conditions. In cases where there is a high risk of domestic violence, the court will be able to limit communication and contact between the child and the abusive parent for up to six months.

Judges will also set visitation schedules and bailiffs will ensure their enforcement. If the minor refuses to participate, the court may order the parents to take part in a counselling or family‑relationship‑reconciliation programme for up to six months.

The draft law is to be examined in the second reading in parliament.