Rehab for delinquent juveniles opened
The Juvenile Residential Treatment Centre in Th. Veymandoo is the second such centre to be opened in Maldives.
By
Aminath Shifleen
A facility to rehabilitate and treat troubled youth with criminal histories opened in Th. Veymandoo Friday.
The first such centre for juvenile justice was established in Dh. Kudahuvadhoo in November.
The Juvenile Residential Treatment Centre, the second such centre to be opened in Maldives, deals with:
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Children who need to be treated in short or long-term isolation
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Children requiring long-term detention for corrective therapy
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Children staying will be provided with education, training and skills appropriate to their developmental levels.
At a ceremony in Veymandoo Friday afternoon, state home minister Ali Nazeer inaugurated the centre. He spoke about the challenges faced in rehabilitating and resolving juvenile crime at the ceremony:
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The prevention of crime begins before the crime is committed; so priority should be given to eliminate all the factors that can drive a child to crime.
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The most important aspect of the legal framework established to address the issues of juvenile delinquency in the Maldives is to ensure that children do not reach judicial platforms where they are sentenced with legal action.
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Opening of the Residential Treatment Centres marks the beginning of a new phase in the implementation of the juvenile justice system.
Nazeer said that he acknowledges that "bricks and machines do not begin any correctional action", but that the opening of the facility marks a stepping stone in the work that can resolve many social issues like juvenile delinquency.
"I am glad to say that policies have been formulated, the law has been enacted, the regulations and policies have been written. There is still much to reform," Nazeer said.
