As of the first day of 2013, possession of drugs for personal use will no longer be treated as a criminal offense, but rather as a misdemeanor, decided the Croatian Parliament on Friday, amending the Criminal Code by a majority vote.
Possession of drugs for personal use will be penalized as a misdemeanor, with a fine ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 kuna, and mandatory treatment or community service may also be imposed. The law does not specify the quantity of drugs that will be considered for personal use, but penalties for drug dealing around schools are being particularly tightened, with dealers facing up to 15 years in prison.
With the amendments to the Criminal Code, non-payment of wages will be treated as a criminal offense, unless the employer is unable to pay wages due to lack of funds. This exception will not apply to employers in difficulty who do not issue a payroll statement to workers indicating that earned wages have not been paid.
The organization of illegal gambling, which was previously limited to chain games, is being transferred from the misdemeanor to the criminal sphere.
The law is being harmonized with the Agreement with the Holy See, so that confessors will also be exempt from the obligation to report committed criminal offenses alongside lawyers.
Family members of the perpetrator will now also be required to report criminal acts related to the sexual exploitation of children, and the statute of limitations for such acts will run from the victim’s coming of age, rather than from the commission of the act.
Traffic penalties are also being tightened, with endangerment of maritime traffic being punished more severely than reckless driving on the road, and the definition of the criminal offense of bribery is being expanded to include acts in which a third party benefits.
