Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Jantho (Agenzia Fides) – Thousands of children in Indonesia live behind prison bars. The minimum age of penal responsibility is eight years, often for very minor offences. Most minor offenders detained in prisons where there are also adults prisoners, suffer violence and sexual abuse. "This is the law in Indonesia. The government, the police, the prosecutors, professionals appear unable to draft a law to protect children", a Save the Children programme leader in Indonesia said recently.
The people of Aceh themselves are tackling the problem, working with involved families and the police and community, to get the children out of prison. "If they commit a crime and are sent to prison, they risk becoming even worse criminals " said one UNICEF child protection expert in Aceh. In this province alone, in the month of April, 66 children were detained in prison: 29 under trial, and 36 convicted girls and boys serving a sentence. In 2009 nine out of ten children tried were sent to prison. The University Indonesia discovered that 85% of child prisoners are detained with adults. A new law in the making will raise the minimum age for penal responsibility from 8 to 12 years, require that the entity of the crimes be assessed and guarantee that prison is the last resort. (AP) (20/7/2010 Agenzia Fides)
