Be the first to comment!Commissioner for Children concerned on child imprisonment
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The Commissioner for Children, Helen D’Amato, has said that she is deeply concerned at the imprisonment of two children aged 15 and 16 years old while awaiting bail. Imprisonment is highly counterproductive, and does not fulfil the aims of rehabilitation which is urgently required for young persons, the Commissioner said.
The Commissioneer said that Malta is bound by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which “recognizes the right of every child alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law to be treated in a manner consistent with the promotion of the child’s sense of dignity and worth, which reinforces the child’s respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others and which takes into account the child’s age and the desirability of promoting the child’s reintegration and the child’s assuming a constructive role in society” (Article 40, UN CRC.)
“It is crucial that policies, procedures and structures are in place in order to protect children in breach of the law and ensure that their fundamental rights as minors are fully observed. The UN Convention also states in this respect that a minor has a right “to be informed promptly and directly of the charges against him or her, and, if appropriate, through his or her parents or legal guardians, and to have legal or other appropriate assistance in the preparation and presentation of his or her defence,” (Article 40), the Commissioner went on to say
Numerous concerns have been brought to the attention of the Commissioner for Children in relation to this case, and these warrant the initiation of an investigation with regards to administrative procedures and methods used. The Office of the Commissioner for Children will be launching this investigation imminently, in accordance with the provisions of the Commissioner for Children Act 2003 and in the light of what is provided in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Commissioner concluded.
