TIRANA, Feb 16 /ATA/ – By I. Vata/ The rights of children, the functioning of juvenile justice, psychological protection even when in conflict with the law, were the highlight of the conversation that Minister of Justice Ulsi Manja, together with representatives of UNICEF Albania held with some representatives of this age group, in the premises of the Center for Openness and Dialogue.
Manja explained in brief to the children what juvenile justice is about, how it works by making punishment less present and friendly and restorative justice more tangible.
“The changes to juvenile criminal justice are intended to ensure a friendly justice for them, a justice that handles the cases of juvenile delinquents by prioritizing education and re-integration in society,” said the Minister of Justice, adding that for many causes, even unintentional a child can slip into a mistake that leads him into conflict with the law, but the task of the whole society is to treat the minor with dignity.
According to Manja, juveniles who are in conflict with the law will not appear before prosecutor and the court right away, but there are several stages, starting with counselling, while in each stage the juvenile is assisted by a defense lawyer, psychologist, parent, teacher, or legal guardians.
Manja asserted that our country may be the only one in the region, or beyond, that has a Code of Juvenile Justice in place, which makes the difference compared to Criminal Code.
However,… my wish is that juveniles do not even think about actions that lead to a crime, no matter how small it may seem to them. All they need to bear in mind is school, education, culture, technology. Children should avoid contact on social networks, at school, or anywhere with people who can instinctively realize that they are not on the right path,” said Manja.
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