The first child custodial center under the Child Justice Act has been established in Gn. Fuvahmulah.
The center was inaugurated on Thursday by Hinnavaru MP and Human Rights and Gender Committee Chair Jeehan Mahmood, and Fuvahmulah Mayor Ismail Rafeeq. Deputy Commissioner of Police Abdul Mannan Yusuf also attended the ceremony.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mannan said that under the existing juvenile justice system, the child is remanded in custody and counseled when a juvenile is brought in for a second offense. Information on the next steps to be taken is also shared with the child’s parent as part of the process. However, this was not the procedure followed in the past, he said.
"We are doing a lot of work to reduce child crime. The hope is that children will turn away from crime and become useful in society," Mannan said.
The child custodial center has an indoor and outdoor playground for children, a library, a classroom, and a computer lab.
