Children in lock-ups…We did not breach the law - Police

Children in lock-ups…We did not breach the law – Police

Sep 25, 2014 News

The Guyana Police Force says that it did not breach any law when it detained two juveniles overnight in the Cove and John Police Station lockups.
This was in response to an article carried in the Tuesday edition of the Kaieteur News under the caption “Cousins, 13 and 10, spend night in Cove and John Lock-ups”.
The two youths were detained by the police who were investigating a report of break and enter and larceny.
The article had quoted Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee as stating that the recently blessed Cops and Faith initiative, which is aimed at reducing the criminalization of youths would have been applicable in the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the two juveniles.
Under the programme, rather than detain persons below a certain age, the police are supposed to contact religious leaders in the respective communities as well as the parents of suspected offenders who would mediate matters so as not to criminal youths.
But according to the police the project in which the Cops and Faith Community Network is engaged, treats first time juvenile offenders of minor offences only.
They stated that “Break and Enter and Larceny for which the juveniles were arrested is a serious crime, and therefore is not one of the matters in which the network will be activated,” the police said in a statement.
The Guyana Police Force explained that a report of break and enter and larceny was made at the Cove and John Police Station, where the virtual complainant reported that her home was broken and entered, articles were stolen and that a neighbour told her that he witnessed the two juveniles committing the offence.
It is not clear if the police obtained statements from the eyewitnesses.
However, as a result of what the victim told them, the police said that they arrested the youths and subsequently obtained statements from them in the presence of the parent of one and the guardian of the other.
But after spending a night in the lock ups the youths were released into the custody of the parent/guardian, while the investigations are continuing.
“No law was breached by the action of the police,” the police maintained.
Meanwhile, head of the Child Care and Protection Agency Ann Greene, in an invited comment, told Kaieteur News that her agency is investigating the matter to see how it can help in the circumstances.
The incident has occurred in the midst of Child Protection Week observances.
“We are trying to keep children out of the criminal justice system, especially when they are so young,” the Child Protection Agency boss said.

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