The government has announced tonight 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.
Authorities held a press conference tonight to address the circulation on social media and messaging apps of a video showing the violent attack on a child by other children in a mosque in Alif Alif Atoll Rasdhoo.
Speaking at the press conference, Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan stated that the biggest challenge faced in addressing juvenile crimes is the high age determined as the age of criminal responsibility.
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.
The government announced tonight that they intended to revise the laws so that the minimum age of criminal responsibility is defined as 12 years.
Minister Ihusan, citing Department of Juvenile Justice records, stated that approximately 200 children are at risk of crimes. Most of these children, he added, are between the ages of 12 to 14.
"Currently, even if a criminal offence is committed, we cannot hold them responsible. We have decided to change this age to 12," he said.
Ihusan pointed out that elsewhere in the world as well, the youngest age to bear criminal responsibility is between 12 to 14.
In the Rasdhoo case, the video showed a child being bullied inside a toilet, getting violently assaulted verbally and physically by other children.
The video goes on to show the child being drenched with water from his own bottle and begging on his knees to be spared.
Police have since identified two boys, aged 13 and 14, as the main aggressors in this incident.
Ihusan stated that even at present, a child at 17 years old had received a conviction and is serving his sentence in the Juvenile Detention Centre. He noted that the failure to bring amendments to the new Act presented many challenges.
Attorney General Ahmed Usham said that the amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act will be proposed following the end of the upcoming Fitr Eid holidays. Usham said that if the amendments can be passed within a period of one month, solutions can be found for these challenges.
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