The cycle of children who grow up living in abusive environments entering crime needs to end, said First Lady Sajidha Mohamed on Saturday.

Her statement was made while speaking at inauguration ceremony of the National Juvenile Justice Conference held in collaboration with the Prosecutor General's Office and UNICEF from 10 to 12 of this month.

In her speech, the First Lady said children in criminal environments today were victims of abuse yesterday, and stressed that this is a fact that must be accepted when deciding on matters relating to the criminal justice system.

Drawing examples from real incidents, First Lady Sajidha shared a case of a 14-year-old boy arrested for murder, who had 191 interactions with authorities before his arrest, and another case where a 15-year-old victim of long term sexual abuse was charged, was released following domestic and international pressure.

“These cases symbolize a systematic failure to provide safe and prompt action for children,” the First Lady said.

She also called on schools, parents and justice institutions to recognize the warning signs early on and respond immediately. The First Lady also noted that although Maldives has fewer violent crimes, the imprisonment rates are still higher than other countries in the region.

She also highlighted that although many years are spent strengthening the policy, the impact of crime at a young age lasts for generations

“Addressing this requires changing attitudes, enhancing family involvement, especially the involvement of fathers, and greater collaboration between institutions,” she said.

She urged the authorities to eliminate the opportunities for children to fall into crime due to various loopholes in the system and prevent those who involve them from going unpunished.