Nepal Proposes Legal Reforms for Child Correction Homes Amidst Overcrowding and Service Deficiencies
Summary
Nepal plans legal reforms to reduce overcrowding and improve conditions in child correction homes, proposing amendments to the Children Act to reduce sentences and expand diversion processes.
Key Points
- Nepal's government proposes legal reforms to reduce overcrowding in child correction homes by amending the Children Act, 2075 BS.
- The proposed amendments include reducing sentences for serious crimes for children aged 16 to 18 to a maximum of seven years and raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 12 years.
- Currently, 1,195 children reside in correction homes with a capacity of 1,085, and about 50 percent are above 18 years old.
- The ministry highlights inadequate facilities, poor nutrition, lack of proper infrastructure, and security challenges within the child correction homes.
- A new child court has been established in Bhaktapur, and a new correction home with 300 capacity is nearing completion in Tanahu.
