LATENCY OF CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS OF WATER PROTECTION RULES

The relevance of the stated research topic is brought about by the problem of latency of criminal offenses against the environment, which, for a number of different reasons, is not reflected in the State accounting of crimes committed and the impossibility of bringing the perpetrators to criminal liability. The article analyzes scientific approaches to defining the essence of the concept of latency of criminal offenses, and provides an extended classification of factors (causes) of such latency. The author examines the status and level of latency of crimes against the environment and the methods of its determination. As a result of the study, the author identifies the factors which КРИМІНАЛЬНЕ ПРАВО ТА КРИМІНОЛОГІЯ; КРИМІНАЛЬНО-ВИКОНАВЧЕ ПРАВО 144 // Міжнародний науковий журнал «Інтернаука». Cерія: «Юридичні науки» // № 5 (75), 2024 // Кримінальне право та кримінологія; кримінально-виконавче право // influence the latency of criminal violation of water protection rules: high level of corruption in the bodies which are supposed to report the facts of water pollution; difficulties in conducting an expert examination to establish the assessment of pollution and the consequences of such criminal pollution, the existence of a causal link between the criminal act and the consequences; low level of interaction between law enforcement, environmental protection bodies and the public; difficulty/impossibility of establishing the fact of criminal pollution. The article summarizes and characterizes the measures to minimize the level of latent crime. The purpose of the article is to reveal the scientific approaches to the essence of latency of criminal offenses and its classification, to identify the factors (causes) which influence the existence of latency of criminalized violations of water protection rules and to introduce measures (ways) to reduce its level. The research material consists of: 1) monographic and dissertation studies of domestic criminologists in the field of latency of criminal offenses; 2) the results of the author's own empirical research. In the course of the study, a number of sociological, psychological and statistical research methods were used. To collect sociological information, a survey of the population was conducted. It is concluded that the implementation of measures to minimize the level of latent crime should have a significant impact on a more complete detection of actually committed criminal offenses related to violation of water protection rules, which will provide the State and society with a realistic picture of the level of these criminal offenses and will further contribute to their prevention.