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He was jailed for 60 days without trial or conviction. A boy named Jack (13) was not allowed to leave his cell in the Australian state of Queensland for several days. Meanwhile, the Aborigine was even denied drinking water. The reason for the ordeal: During an argument, he had hit a colleague. That reports broadcaster ABC.
Jack was arrested for assault and robbery for snatching his opponent’s cell phone when he threatened to call the police – and immediately locked up behind bars. There’s no doubt Jack shouldn’t have hit him. “But locking him up for a total of 60 days is cruel and inappropriate,” said Tim Grau, the 13-year-old’s lawyer.
Mother hardly recognizes her son
In February, Jack was said to have been in his cell for 22 days in a row. In the remaining 38 days he was only allowed to leave his cell occasionally. He was not even given drinking water. “He told me he was so distraught that the security forces wouldn’t allow him to drink anything that he flooded his cell,” his mother said.
She is currently struggling to get her son used to a normal life again. In addition, she hardly recognizes her Jack, because since his release he seems “stressed” and “closed off”.
Violate international regulations
The 13-year-old’s case caused horror around the world. Human rights activists in particular are sounding the alarm. Because: Jack is not an isolated case. “We know of cases where children are brought to court and have already spent much more time in prison than if they had been convicted,” Queensland’s human rights commissioner Scott McDougall told the ABC.
Dealing with Jack was not only against Queensland rules, but international standards as well. In addition, the age of criminal responsibility in Australia has long been criticized.
Germany discusses criminal liability
Unlike in Australia, where children from the age of 10 are criminally responsible, minors in Germany are only punished from the age of 14. And: You don’t go directly to jail, but you will be punished with measures. However, criminal liability is currently under discussion in Germany.
The reason for this is the increasing violence among young people and two particularly terrible cases: First, the death of Luise F.*(†12) from Freudenberg (D) made headlines. She was stabbed multiple times by her former classmates aged 12 and 13. But the group of girls from Heide (D) also caused horror. The gang allegedly tortured a 13-year-old girl for hours and captured it on video. In both cases, the perpetrators were minors. This raises the question of whether the age of criminal responsibility should be lowered to 12 years.
In Switzerland, ten-year-olds are criminally responsible
In Switzerland, as in Australia, the age of criminal responsibility is ten years. Rather than punishing children, the aim is to deter them from committing more crimes at a young age. Normally, only a warning follows or the juvenile offenders must provide personal services for a maximum of 10 days. In very serious cases, young people from the age of 15 could go to prison for a maximum of one year. Prison sentences of up to four years are possible from the age of 16. (lia)
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Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
