Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan has said last night that approximately 200 children are at risk for criminality and delinquency, stating that a rehabilitation program for them will be commenced within the coming week.
Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan has said last night that approximately 200 children are at risk for criminality and delinquency, stating that a rehabilitation program for them will be commenced within the coming week.
A press conference was held last night by a special Task Force formed to work against bullying to address the incident in Alif Alif atoll Rasdhoo where a child was violently attacked physically and verbally by other children.
Speaking at this press conference, Minister Ihusan stated that under the Juvenile Justice Act ratified in 2019, children at risk of criminality must be institutionalized and offered rehabilitation.
Minister said that despite the law stipulating that such centres must be established and functioning within 18 months of the law being ratified, no such action has been taken within the past five years.
Ihusan said that the only centre in use is the Juvenile Detention Centre. However, the previous government had contracted a company to build a Juvenile Residential Treatment Centre in Dhaalu Atoll Kuda Huvadhoo for MVR 21 million.
Ihusan said that at the most recent inspection of the place, the place was not ready for use. Hence, the contractor has been instructed to bring further changes to the place, he said.
As per the law, after the residential treatment, the children must be transferred to a halfway house. For this purpose, a halfway house has been established in Haa Alif atoll Hoarafushi.
"Through this system, we cannot go to Step 2 without first completing Step 1 in Dhaalu atoll Kuda Huvadhoo. So one decision we have made is to use the Hoarafushi centre initially as a juvenile residential treatment centre. Hopefully, we will commence services there this coming week," Ihusan said.
"We will then take the children we see as highest priority now, as most at-risk, to the maximum capacity allowed there, and begin rehabilitation. When considering the entire country, there are approximately 200 children at-risk of criminality that we must attend to," he revealed.
The law also states that children at risk in this manner must be taken into state care and provided long term residential treatment.
The Minister said that children neglected by families, children with antisocial behaviour, children not integrated with society and children spending time with individuals involved in criminal activity will be taken to this facility.
Ihusan went on to say that an island will be determined to house a 'Long Term Residential Care Facility' where the children will be cared for until the age of 18. However, this can only be done under a court order.
"We believe that once these facilities are established, the total solution envisioned by the law can be achieved," the Minister said.
The centres will offer religious and formal studies, behavioural therapy, skills development, and psychosocial intervention programs.
As per the Juvenile Justice Act passed in 2019, children must take responsibility for criminal acts beyond the age of 15. Prior to the ratification of this Act, the law was that beyond the age of 10, children must be held responsible for crimes that carry a 'Hadd' penalty in Islamic Shariah, and that they must bear responsibility for all other crimes as well beyond the age of 13.
Minister Ihusan announced last night that, similar to other countries, they intended to revise the laws so that the minimum age of criminal responsibility is defined as 12 years. The Attorney General said that this amendment to the law will be proposed soon after offices reopen following the upcoming Fitr Eid holidays.
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