Arif voiced concerns that an alarming increase is being seen in the number of juvenile offenders being found involved in gang related criminal activity.
Police have raised concerns about the increasing numbers of juvenile offenders.
Head of the newly established wing in Maldives Police Service to combat gang activity, Superintendent of Police Arif said that new measures are being taken to eradicate gang related crimes. He said that the efforts are now reaping results.
Arif said that with increased police operations to identify and halt criminal activity by gangs, the number of juvenile offenders being detained have also seen an increase. However, he said that it is impossible to say whether this is because gang recruitment of minors has increased.
Arif voiced concerns that an alarming increase is being seen in the number of juvenile offenders being found involved in such criminal activity.
Statistics shared by the police show that last year, 79 minors were arrested for various crimes. This number has been surpassed, reaching 95, in the first three months of this year alone.
Last year, 11 minors were arrested for violence with sharp objects or other major crimes. This year, the number has reached 15 in the first quarter.
The government has announced in March 2024 that they have decided to revoke the legal stipulation that minors under 15 cannot be held responsible for criminal acts, and to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 12.
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.
Global studies, however, indicate that institutionalizing juvenile offenders is not the ideal course of action as it often leads to reoffending rather than rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
The UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty highlights that incarceration of child offenders is generally counterproductive and cost-inefficient. They recommend that non-custodial solutions be explored, and to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to at least the age of 14 years. They urge for making restorative justice mechanisms widely available and to strengthen child protection systems with sufficient resources and capacities.
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) has consistently called on countries to adopt a minimum age of criminal responsibility of 14 years or older.
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