In Kenema… More Children in Crime-Magistrate

Politics

Acting Principal Magistrate Kenema, Mohamed Alhaji Momoh-Jah Stevens has called for the immediate provision of a juvenile detention centre in Kenema city to serve the eastern regional towns of Kenema, Kono and Kailahun districts. He made this appeal while addressing a crowded court on Monday 11th March 2013, when he disclosed that the spate of crimes committed in Kenema city and its environs among children is alarming. He revealed that crimes committed by juveniles in the eastern region particularly Kenema district is too high compared to Bo city. He explained that in Bo city more children are engaged in schooling as compared to Kenema city, where the children are mostly engaged in gambling and some just roam about the streets in the city. The magistrate said there are more cases of juvenile cases before him in the court and revealed that last week, he committed a murder case to the High Court, involving a juvenile and less than a week, another juvenile appealed before him on another allegation. The magistrate said that if there is a remand home in Kenema city, it will reduce the crime rate among children in the district. He said it is of great concern the rate at which children are in conflict with the law in the district and called on the Ministry of Social Welfare Children and Gender Affairs to immediately do something about the children of the nation. He called on all stakeholders including the Government, Local and International Non- Governmental Organizations in the nation to ensure that the future leaders of the nation are brought up properly for the benefit of all and sundry. He blamed some parents for not bringing their children up properly, only for them to be a menace to the society. Contributing to the appeal, lawyer Catherine Martin says the needs for juvenile homes for the eastern region is very high, as most of the juveniles do not go to school, and a lot of counseling can be done for something positive to happen to their minds. She says currently all juvenile detainees are being sent to Bo city remand home but questioned the type of facilities available to clients. The lead prosecutor in the magistrate court in Kenema, ASP Sahr Didi Lahai says there is need for a juvenile home to be created in every district where courts are sitting. He says juvenile offenders in this part of the country, commits more crime than the adults and when they come to court, they always appeared to be less than 18 years, as there is no centre to prove the authenticity of their age. He pleaded with national and international organizations to come and help. By Saffa Moriba

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