Govt, NGOs lack data on juvenile delinquents in jail

By A Staff Reporter

BHAKTAPUR, Aug. 21: The government as well as NGOs working for children has no specific data about the number of juvenile delinquents in jails across the country.

The Underprivileged Child Education Project (UCEP) has records of only seven children under 16 who were put in jail for delinquency.

On the occasion of the National Children's Day, a one-day workshop on 'Present and Future of Child Prisoners Accused of Criminal Allegation in Nepal' was organised by UCEP and the Child NGO Federation Nepal.

During the workshop, they said delinquents were no longer sent to jail, but put under the care of UCEP, where they are given education.

The seven children who were present at the workshop said they wanted access to vocational and technical education so that they could be self-reliant after they came out from the reform centres.

The workshop was aimed at improving the situation of juvenile delinquency, child rights as mentioned by the Geneva Convention, Children's Act 2048 and the Nepalese Constitution.

A number of suggestions were proposed for inclusion in the upcoming amendment of the Act, which include raising the age bar of children from 16 to 18 and seeing that their criminal record did not affect their future prospects.

Chief guest Minister for Women and Social Welfare Shushila Swanr assured that the suggestions would be incorporated in the bill.

Speakers at the programme analysed the causes, which force children to involve themselves in criminal activities. They suggested that delinquents be rehabilitated in correction centres to assure their future.

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