By Prince J Musa in Kenema
The Deputy Commissioner for the Children’s Commission Sierra Leone has said that punishment against children who come in conflict with the law are a contributing factor to the destruction of their future.
“Jailing juvenile for 15 years is part of destroying the future of the child for life, because after the jail term they will not learn anything that will benefit them,’’ he said.
Ansumana Fambundeh was speaking at a partners’ engagement held in Kenema, eastern Sierra Leone on the 7th of October 2021.
However, he said the commission has ensured the review of the child rights Act which is at the final validation stage, adding that the reviewed Act will help protect children and guide on how to respond to kids that are in conflict with the law.
“We are aware that children are seriously involved in sexual penetration cases,’’ to lend credence to what the Executive Director of Legal Aid Board Sierra Leone, Fatmata Claire Carlton Hanciles also stated at the just concluded budget hearing at the Ministry of Finance of more cases of children on trial for sexual offences than adults.
Ansumana said that, there should be a provision for children not to get the same punishment as adults who commit similar offences. He said to prevent children from crimes such as sexual offences requires collective effort of both government and families.
He therefore called on the partners to continue raising awareness on the protection of children against all forms of abuses in their communities.
He said part of their mandate is to monitor the activities of child protection agencies hence the engagement with them. He said the engagement will also enable the partners to link with other child protection organizations such as the family support unit of the Police, social welfare among others to help them implement their the programs.
He said the commission has plans of establishing a regional office in Kenema for the coordination of the child protection agencies in the eastern region so that they can share challenging issues affecting their work.
In her statement, the Program Manager for Defense for Children International Kenema, Satta Mojama Senesie, described the engagement as important and timely for them as child protection partners.
Madam Senesie however advised parents not to neglect their children because they are in conflict with the law as most of them do encounter difficulties when growing up but are liable to change as time goes on, and appealed to the parents to be patient with the children.
The Deputy Director, head of eastern region Human Rights Commission Sierra Leone, Sylvester Sidie Mohamed Kallon said the focus of the commission is to map out partners involved in child protection and to serve as consortium in child protection and children welfare.
‘’Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone will always stand to work with institutions that will support and promote the rights of children and people’s rights,’’ he said.
He assured that the commissions will give technical support to ensure that the rights of children are promoted especially in the review of the child rights Act.
Copyright © Politico Online 11/10/21
