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Children in conflict with the law An increasing number of children are being deprived of liberty in the region. In 2002, 136,000 children in CEE/CIS were sentenced
for criminal activities, compared to 117,000 in 1990. Russia alone
accounted for 65% of these numbers. This data does not include the unknown numbers of children who are deprived of their liberty while in pre-trial detention. Juvenile justice systems across
the region are inadequate and many children are convicted for petty
crimes and sentenced to heavy penalties. (Data do not include Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
and Uzbekistan.)
Juvenile sentences for criminal activity in CEE/CIS (graph) On average, reported crime rates
for juveniles in the region are higher for the total
population. In 2002, 15 juvenile crimes were registered per 100,000
juvenile population (ages 14-17) compared to 14 crimes per 100,000
total population. However, it is not clear if the definition of what is considered a crime is the same for adults and for juveniles, hence the interpretation of data is questionable. The separation of juvenile from adult prisoners has been a core standard since the 1955 UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. The UN Standard was designed specifically to protect child prisoners from adult abuse and exploitation. The Standard and 1990 UN Guidelines for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of Liberty emphasize that the separation of juveniles and adults is mandatory, without exception. Since 2001 the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture has recorded its concern about juveniles being kept in the same cells as adults in at least three countries in the region (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR Macedonia).
The differences in reported crime rates among countries are striking:
UNICEF helping reform Georgia’s juvenile justice system
The situation | Children in conflict with the law | Profile and Risks | Reforming the system
Source unless specified: UNICEF_transMONEE 2004 |
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