A bill adopted aims to curb rising incidence of child...

A bill adopted aims to curb rising incidence of child abuse in this impoverished East European nation. The measures came after Prime Minister Adrian Nastase and other officials called for more severe punishment in cases of paedophilia. Over the last four weeks three western citizens have been arrested for sexual abuse of minors. Nastase argued that the older laws were "not enough of a deterrent" and that Romania "could be seen as a paradise for pedophiles around the world." He said he personally would like reintroduction of the death penalty in such cases, a view shared by many Romanians. But Romania has yet to align its legislation with Western standards as it moves towards joining the European Union.