Fizinio skausmo sukėlimo nustatymo ir BK 140 straipsnyje numatyto nusikaltimo pripažinimo mažareikšmiu probleminiai aspektai

Abstract

Article 140 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania establishes liability for beating or other violent actions, which cause to a person physical pain or a negligible bodily harm or a short-term illness. The article does not provide a boundary when physical abuse shall not be considered a crime, as allegedly there shall be a punishment only for causing of physical pain. Article 140 of the CC criminalizes one of the lightest consequences of physical abuse – causing of physical pain. Does this mean that any abuse or using of physical force towards another person’s body shall always carry criminal liability? The answer to this question is directly related to the range of problems of physical pain definition in criminal law, so the article includes the analysis of problem related to the assessment of causing of physical pain in criminal law. The objective of the article is to assess the problems of physical pain feature definition and distinguish criteria for its proof in criminal cases applying system-based, logical, court practice assessment and other research methods. Simultaneously, the author of the article will try to answer whether physical pain and negligible bodily harm could be recognized as a minor crime.
It should be mentioned that physical abuse does not always cause physical pain, and not every caused physical pain is dangerous, illegal and harmful. While applying criminal liability for causing of physical pain, one has to define the boundaries of criminality of such actions reasonably. Adjudging of person’s actions, a crime shall not be made just formally without assessment of the fact whether the illegality of such actions has criminal nature, and whether their hazard is sufficient for considering them a crime. A formal statement that physical pain is caused is not enough. Criminal liability can be applied only in the case when the illegality of person’s behavior reaches criminal liability application hazard level. The intensity and degree of caused physical pain, as well as harm of caused pain to life and health of a certain person, shall be criteria for the application of criminal liability. The article also includes the conclusion that special medical knowledge is not required for the statement of physical pain. The fact of causing of physical pain can be stated by the court basing on the case material data, confirming the fact of previous beating or other violent actions. While stating that causing of physical pain is a harmful act, one shall base on the perception of a certain injured person (subjective criteria) and physical ability to make harm to a person (objective criteria), considering physical ability of a certain injured person.
Harm of short-term illness or causing of physical pain can be of completely different nature, so there are cases when a person will be released from criminal liability due to the minority of crime. Components of crime related to causing of physical pain to a young child are established in Part 3 of Article 140 of the CC, so that the harm, depending of case circumstances, can be completely different. Even considering physical ability of an injured person (minority), the crime harmfulness degree is low due to insignificant consequences, and it does not reach the degree which closes out application of release from criminal liability due to the minority of crime. Causing of physical pain to a young child can be recognized as a minor crime according to certain case circumstances.