Rehabilitated children, when eighteen, to be employed at Police or MNDF

Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan has said that it will become mandated for children involved in crimes to join MNDF or Police services once they turn eighteen years of age after rehabilitation.

Ihusan made these comments in response to a question posed to him at Monday night's 'Ahaa Forum'.

Ahaa [literally translated to listen or ask] Forum is a public forum where members of the public can directly ask questions from senior officials of the administration including the President, cabinet ministers and other government officials regarding their work. Five ministers participated in Monday night's forum.

The member of public asked Minister Ihusan what was being done to expedite taking action against the issue of children under fifteen being involved in crime.

The Minister responded that this administration had made the decision to lower the age of criminal culpability to twelve as children as young as that were also observed to be made involved in serious crimes.

The law stipulates that a facility must be set up where any child found to be involved in crime must be taken to under state custody and rehabilitated.

Ihusan said that no such facilities had been established when this administration assumed office despite the duration allowed for it in law having elapsed.

The Minister asserted that this government's aim is for the Department of Juvenile Justice to commence treatment and rehabilitation immediately upon arrest of a child involved in crime, and for the Juvenile Court, too, to expedite trials.

He confirmed that work has begun now to establish a long term care facility to rehabilitate such children. A specific island will be decided upon to conduct these efforts in, and children will be taken there and offered guidance.

"In that island, we will offer the children guidance, provide them with religious teachings, foundational studies, age appropriate lessons, skills development, behavioural matters, and together with that, introduce contact sports. We will bring them up until the age of 18 in a separate island," the Minister explained.

"We will mandate that once they turn eighteen, they will have to directly join MNDF or Police services. After that, after being in service for about five years, they will then be given the opportunity to move forward in whatever field they choose."

Minister Ihusan said that if this policy of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu is implemented, the issues of children joining gangs, children getting involved in violent crimes, and neglected children being extensively out on the streets will be solved.