Activists flay proposal to reduce age of juvenile offenders

October 23, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:31 am IST - NEW DELHI:

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s latest proposal for reducing the age of juvenile offenders from 18 to 15 in cases of heinous crimes is being criticised by several activists who are calling it an “easy solution with no actual results.” The latest to join the chorus is a child rights activist who has shot an open letter to Mr. Kejriwal expressing strong objection to the decision.

According to Devika Singh, founder of Mobile Crèches, a non-government organisation, the focus of the Delhi government should be on immediate yet long-term measures that would ensure care and a sense of safety for the children in the city. “Why does the government have to waste time in something as time consuming as amending an Act? Instead, it ought to give adequate attention to healthy mental, emotional and physical growth of children, especially those under six-years of age,” Ms. Singh told The Hindu .

Earlier activists from NGO Chetna, Centre for Child Rights and All India Democratic Women’s Association had also objected the decision.

“Children exposed to family violence- either physical abuse or witnessing domestic violence, show increased activation of the brain to angry but not sad faces. Mr. Kejriwal owes it to the 16 lakh young children of Delhi and the many brutalised young juveniles, whose childhood has been lost,” Ms. Singh said.

“In the light of the above, do you still wish to solve the problem by hastily lowering the age at which juveniles are punished, washing your hands off the problem, establishing yourself as a decisive leader, or instead, put in place support systems, crèches, daycare, functioning anganwadis ,which will give children experiences of being cared for and protection from the deprivation and violence prevailing in the slums?” concluded the activist in her letter.

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