The Forum, which is organised by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, dedicates this year’s edition to minorities in the criminal justice system.
Beyond the general and major issue of children deprived of liberty, empirical studies indicate that minorities are overrepresented in the criminal justice systems. In several European countries the number of children from minority groups in prison is disproportionate*.
Their involvement in the criminal justice system may entail similar difficulties to the ones faced by foreign children who try to effectively exercise their human rights throughout the course of criminal proceedings.
On the occasion of the Forum, Defence for Children International and Terre des Hommes presented joint recommendations to better understand and address the issue of discrimination against children from minority groups in the criminal justice system.
Read the full statement here.
Information about the Forum on Minority Issues available here.
*‘Children and juvenile justice: proposals for improvements’, Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe
