Przestępstwo porzucenia małoletniego w polskim prawie karnym: opinie studentów o wymiarze kar oraz statystyki sądowe

Barbara Kałdon

doi:10.21852/sem.1903

Published: 2026-10-15

Child Abandonment under Polish Criminal Law: University Students’ Views on Penalties and Judicial Statistics

Barbara Kałdon

Seminare. Studies in Youth and Society

Section: Articles

https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.1903

Abstract

This empirical study examines university students’ attitudes towards criminal penalties for child abandonment under Article 210 of the Polish Criminal Code. The aim is to assess whether respondents’ expectations concerning the severity of punishment correspond to statutory penalties and judicial practice. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 2024 among 236 students at Polish universities. The findings were examined alongside criminal law provisions, court sentencing statistics for 2016–2020, and Polish Police statistics for 2016–2023. The results indicate that respondents generally favoured harsher penalties than those currently provided for under Polish criminal law, particularly for the aggravated form of child abandonment resulting in death. Life imprisonment was selected as the maximum penalty for this form of the offence by 31% of respondents. Furthermore, 64% supported raising the age limit for protection under Article 210(1), while 67% favoured an increase under Article 210(2). The findings reveal differences between students’ expectations and the existing legal framework, highlighting the importance of examining public attitudes towards criminal sanctions and the protection of minors. The study contributes empirical evidence to discussions of criminal justice policy and child protection in Poland.

Keywords:

child abandonment, protection of minors, Polish criminal law, Article 210 of the Criminal Code, criminal penalties, university students’ attitudes, public opinion survey, judicial statistics, police crime statistics

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Kałdon, B. (2026). Child Abandonment under Polish Criminal Law: University Students’ Views on Penalties and Judicial Statistics. Seminare. Studies in Youth and Society, (Online First). https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.1903

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