---
title: "Violation of Custody Rights"
url: "https://legal.ge/en/service/crim-criminal-law-en/violation-of-custody-rights-en"
field: "Criminal Law"
description: "Articles 171-174 of the Criminal Code: involvement of minors, unlawful adoption transactions, child substitution. Lawyer Legal.ge."
reviewed: "2026-07-09"
updated: "2026-10-14"
publisher: "legal.ge"
---

# Violation of Custody Rights

> Source: legal.ge, https://legal.ge/en/service/crim-criminal-law-en/violation-of-custody-rights-en

## Articles 171-174: The Criminal Chain Protecting Children

The Criminal Code of Georgia builds an entire normative chain in the sphere of the protection of minors. This chain covers four articles: Article 171 defines liability for involving a minor in anti-social activity, Article 172 for an unlawful transaction with respect to a minor for the purpose of adoption, Article 173 for the violation of the rules of adoption or foster care, and Article 174 for the substitution of a child. These provisions are in a logical connection: they protect the right of the child to a family environment, safe upbringing, and identity. Charges under these articles often rest on several norms at once, and the correct qualification directly affects the outcome of the case. On this page we explain each article in detail, its sanctions, and the opportunities of the defense.

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### What does Article 171 provide for?

Persuading a minor to beg is punished by community service from 170 to 240 hours or a heavier sanction; involvement in non-medical consumption of substances by imprisonment up to three years; and repeated commission by imprisonment from three to six years.

### What is the difference between the parts of Article 172?

Purchase is punished by a fine or imprisonment up to one year, while sale is punished only by imprisonment from two to five years, without the alternative of a fine.

### What is needed to apply Article 173?

A violation of the rules of adoption or foster care that caused a grave consequence is required; an act committed through the use of an official position is punished more strictly.

### What motive is required for the substitution of a child?

Substitution of a child is a crime only when committed out of mercenary or other base motives; such conduct is punished by a fine or imprisonment from three to five years.