Peculiarities of the Legal Status of a Victim of a Criminal Offense Under Art. 150 Exploitation of Children.

The problem of protecting the rights of the child as a victim of exploitation is especially relevant in the context of socio-economic challenges, the spread of hidden forms of forced labor and the inaction of the state to effectively identify such criminal offenses. Child exploitation as a criminal offense encompasses not only economic abuse, but also violations of a child's fundamental rights to dignity, freedom and security. The article examines the peculiarities of the legal status of a victim of a criminal offense under Article 150 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - child exploitation. The author analyzes the legal nature of the victim as a participant in criminal proceedings, taking into account the age, psycho-emotional and social characteristics of minors. The author emphasizes the need to ensure effective mechanisms for protecting the rights and interests of a child victim of exploitation, in particular by improving procedural guarantees and interagency cooperation. The author also discusses the problems of proof and participation of a legal representative, as well as the role of guardianship and custody authorities, psychologists and social services in ensuring a safe and non-discriminatory environment for a child victim. Effective investigation and protection of the rights of child victims is only possible if there is a well-established cooperation between investigative bodies, prosecutors, social services, medical institutions and educational institutions. Clear algorithms of actions in case of detection of exploitation are a key to preventing violations of children's rights. The legal status of a child victim in cases of exploitation requires a special procedural approach that takes into account age, psycho-emotional state, family environment and other factors. In order to improve law enforcement practice, it is necessary to: improve the skills of justice and social services workers; introduce a system of interagency monitoring of exploitation cases; ensure proper legal protection and rehabilitation of child victims.