This week, courts across the country will try cases involving minors and women, as part of the activities to mark the annual Legal Aid Week, which kicked off on Monday. The campaign is set to help dispense justice involving 215 juvenile cases. As the country moves to clear pending cases involving children, there’s need to bear in mind that they are children in the first place. Such cases need extra care since there are emotional, physiological and moral factors to consider as much as the need to provide justice itself. Caution need to be observed so that the trial does not have lasting side effects. These children should be given all the necessary help for their eventual rehabilitation and re-integration into society, that way; they will grow into responsible citizens. As expected, some of the children on trial will be set free, while others will be sent to correctional centres. Those set free will need close follow-up and guidance so that they don’t suffer the stigma of having been arrested. Every effort should be made to ensure that juvenile offenders are able to successfully manage their return to community settings after they have served their sentences. Parents and the local communities must play a key role in this endeavor with family reunification beginning from the time they are serving their sentences. In addition to encouraging family visitation, other services such as individual and family counseling should be readily available. Counseling will help ensure that the child is emotionally prepared to lead a normal life after they have completed their sentences and to avoid any recidivism.
