Hungarian Ombudsman: Child Incarceration Wrong
- 16 May 2012 9:06 AM
Fundamental rights ombudsman Máté Szabó finds the proposed lowering of the age of punishability unjustified. The problem of deviant children should be treated by joining forces with professionals who deal with children in areas such as child protection, education and health care, and by focusing on prevention and the rights of children rather than imposing criminal sanctions, Szabó said in a statement on Tuesday.
Under the new draft criminal code a child committing a crime could have their freedom curtailed. Szabó says this is not justified by either the number or character of crimes committed by minors, nor the statistics on crimes committed against life.
Establishing a lower age for punishability could only be justified following a social debate and considerable professional consultations, he added.
Source: Hungary Around the Clock
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