Monday
18th Nov 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology
Age of Criminal Responsibility to be Changed to 12 Years Old
Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusaan. | Photo: Home Ministry
Homeland Security and Technology Minister Ali Ihusaan has said that the law will be changed to require criminal responsibility at the age of 12.
Speaking at the press conference of the Task Force for the Protection of Children, Minister Ihusaan said that the intention of this government is to change criminal responsibility to 12 years.
“The biggest challenge at the moment is that criminal liability is 15 years. However, police records and our Juvenile Justice Department's records show that many children between the ages of 12 and 13 are at risk in certain environments,” he said.
There are 200 children at risk in Maldives, most of whom are between the ages of 12-14. These children do not meet the age of criminal responsibility.
"At the moment, the law is not shaped so that the children are held responsible for a criminal offence, and can be held accountable,” Minister Ali Ihusaan said.
Recently, the number of crimes committed involving children has been increasing.