Juvenile justice
Children in conflict with the law are protected by a number of international and national legal documents. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules) state that all staff members involved in juvenile justice should have specific qualifications and training, and that special courts for children should be established with specialized procedures to take into account the needs specific to children. A new penal code for juvenile justice was initiated in Romania in 2006. According to this new law, children in conflict with the law are to be judged by special courts for children. Although the law stipulates special procedures for children in accordance with international conventions it does not specify that representatives of institutions involved in the juvenile justice process require special training. Violations of the rights of these children often occur in police stations, while being investigated. During the trial and sentencing stage, although children in conflict with the law should be separated from adult offenders, in reality children often come in contact with adult offenders. The trials of children are held in the same venues as adult trials, which may affect the emotional condition of the child during his/her trial. Furthermore, in spite of the fact that the new Penal Code allows for and recommends educational measures, the courts still prefer punitive measures. According to a study carried out by the Institute of Criminology in 2004, children commit about 10% of all crimes in Romania. Most (83%) of the crimes committed by children above the age of criminal responsibility were against property, primarily theft and robbery, followed by crimes against persons – physical violence (9%).
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