UNICEF has called Ukraine to do everything possible for children who are in trouble with the law to be treated with respect and not to be humiliated.

"UNICEF welcomes the progress Ukraine has made in overcoming the problems of torture and violent treatment. In particular, these include the creation of the national preventive mechanism, as well as the approval of a concept on criminal justice development regarding minors, and the approval of new Criminal Procedural Code favor maintenance of children's rights during criminal trials," UNICEF Representative in Ukraine Yukie Mokuo said during the presentation of the research "Torture and Cruelty to Children in Ukraine" in Kyiv on Thursday.

However, according to Mokuo, a survey in Ukraine showed children still become the victims of physical violence, are illegally detained at police departments, are forced to confess to crimes, and are left without legal assistance.

"UNICEF calls on Ukraine to take necessary measures for all children who are in conflict with law to be treated with respect, not to be humiliated, and help these children to become productive members of society in future," UNICEF representative said.

According to human rights defenders, children who violated law or are suspected of doing so suffer violence both during detention and interrogation, as well as in prisons.

As the report prepared by Kharkiv Human Defense Group and Kharkiv Institute of Social Research, physical violence more often has the character of beatings, and children told the researchers about torture such as choking or beatings that leave no traces on the body.

As co-chairman of Kharkiv Human Defense Group Yevhen Zakharov reported, in February 2013 policemen detained three ten-year old children and didn't let them go for six hours. The prosecutor's office failed to identify the policemen who illegally arrested the children.