An estimated 261,000 children in conflict with the law – those who have been alleged, accused or recognised as having committed an offence – are held in detention, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has said.
UNICEF, in its latest reports, said the children were released after it drew attention to their increased risk of contracting COVID-19 in confined and overcrowded spaces, and called for their immediate release.
Also, over 45,000 children have been released from detention and safely returned to their families in at least 84 countries since the start of COVID-19, it said.
UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, said in a statement that the organisation was aware that justice systems are “ill-equipped to handle the specific needs of children – a situation further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“We commend countries which heeded our call and released children from detention. By protecting children from conditions that could have exposed them to grave illness, these countries were able to overcome public resistance and spur innovative, age-appropriate justice
solutions.
“This has proved something we already knew, child-friendly justice solutions are more than possible.”
UNICEF said the study was one of two analyses that illustrate the situation for hundreds of thousands of children deprived of their liberty every year.
It said children in detention – pre-and post-trial custody, immigration detention, armed conflict or national security, or living with parents in detention – are often held in confined and overcrowded
spaces.
“They lack adequate access to nutrition, healthcare and hygiene services, and are vulnerable to neglect, physical and psychological abuse, and gender-based violence,” the statement said. “Many are denied access to lawyers and family care, and unable to challenge the legality of their detention,” it said.
“COVID-19 has profoundly affected justice for children, shuttering courts and restricting access to essential social and justice services. Evidence shows that many children, including children in street situations, have been detained for violating pandemic curfew orders and movement restrictions,” it said.
