The punishment limit has been increased by a third for teachers accused of soliciting or receiving sexual favors from pupils or students, under a law unveiled by President Klaus Iohannis on Friday.

The regulatory act supplements Article 299 of Law No. 286/2009 on the Criminal Code, which deals with “abuse of official position for sexual purposes.”

In its previous form, the article had two paragraphs:

• (1) The act of a civil servant who, for the purpose of performing, failing to perform, accelerating or delaying the performance of an act related to his official duties or for the purpose of performing an act contrary to these duties, demands or receives benefits of this kind of sexual intercourse on the part of a person, directly or indirectly interested in the consequences of this official act, shall be punished by deprivation of liberty for a period of 6 months to 3 years with a ban on exercising the right to hold public positions or to engage in a profession or activity during the performance of which act was committed;
• (2) Demanding or receiving services of a sexual nature by a civil servant who dominates or enjoys a situation of power or superiority over the victim resulting from the position held, is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 3 months to 2 years or with restriction of liberty. fine and prohibition to use the right to hold public positions or engage in the profession or activity during the performance of which he committed the act.

The new law adds a third paragraph, according to Agerpres: “If the actions provided for in paragraphs (1) and (2) were committed by university or pre-university teachers against a pupil or student, the special limitations of punishment are increased by the Trinity.”