NCJ Number
154488
Date Published
1992
Length
91 pages
Annotation
This report documents the plight of children in South Africa in the early 1990's, many of whom were being arrested in the wake of socioeconomic problems that were caused by apartheid and were not being diminished despite South Africa's move toward democracy.
Abstract
Even though poverty, unemployment, and inadequate education contributed to the large number of children in custody in that country, this report claims that the welfare, police, and justice systems charged with acting as temporary guardians of children in custody violated their duty to care for these children not only under South African law, but were in blatant contravention of international and African human rights standards. This report discusses the current legal status of children under child care legislation and laws regarding juvenile and children's courts, and presents statistical data on children awaiting trial or placement in prisons and police cells. The report demands that children being held under these intolerable conditions be moved to more suitable places immediately. 1 appendix