Juvenile delinquency on the rise in Maldives

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

A report from Children’s Court of Maldives reveals that there has been an increase in juvenile delinquency in Maldives in this year compared with 2008 figures.

In the year 2008, 62 cases of juvenile delinquency were submitted to the court while so far this year 100 cases can been submitted.

The report also shows that a large number of these cases were related to drug abuse. This year alone, 24 cases related to drug abuse were submitted. This is a 20% increase from last year.

Addressing the rise of juvenile delinquency, Commissioner of Maldives Police Service Ahmed Faseeh said that juvenile crime and children’s participation in the criminal activities was on the rise because there are adults who abuse the protection given by the constitution to people under the age of 18 as it classifies under 18 year olds as children.

Answering a question put forward by Miadhu, a counselor said that one reason that there was a rise in children’s involvement in illegal drug related cases was because children are used in drug dealing and trafficking and that through this these children are introduced and later become interested in using drugs.

Stating a second reason, counselor said that there were cases where children of drug abusive parents fall into the same habit.

In Maldives, there are two juvenile reformatory centers at Kaafu Atoll Maafushi called Education and Vocational Training Center for Children (ETCC). It was established in 1979. The center which now had a capacity of 84 children has 54 children living there. Almost all children at the Center are of age 9 to 18 years and all of them are boys.

The second one is Juvenile Training Centre in Feydhoofinolhu in Kaafu Atoll and was opened this year. This center is to reform minors at risk of becoming repeat offenders.

Reader Comments

  1. yahhhhhh this is the correct thing to do. wat if that was yall duhhhh.

    Posted by nee-nee | December 1, 2009, 5:55 am

  2. Who is the author of this article? I would like to cite it.

    Posted by Amanda Wright | December 1, 2009, 7:05 am

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