The Ministry of Justice signed a memorandum with UNICEF to cooperate in the field of juvenile justice. The document envisions the development of practices for preventing juvenile delinquency and swifter reintegrating the children in the legal system into society. UNICEF provides about 3.3 million lei for this project, IPN reports.
In the signing event, Minister of Justice Vladimir Cebotari said it is very important to work with children who committed or are on the way of committing offenses because these can be easily attracted into dubious adventures.
UNICEF Representative in Moldova Nune Mangasaryan said the process of reforming the system for combating juvenile justice started ten years ago. In 2006, over 1,300 children were found guilty of particular illegalities, while in 2015 the figure dropped to under 300. Meanwhile, the number of jailed children decreased almost four times. This happens because the system is reformed and the children are no longer considered criminals, but as vulnerable persons who need assistance and guidance.
The UNICEF Representative said the project will be initially implemented in five districts and will be then extended to cover the whole territory of the country. Within the project, they will try to develop mechanisms for monitoring the children in the legal system so as to avoid recidivism.
