The New Juaben South Municipal Police station has no cells for juveniles both male and female who come into conflict with the law.
Police personnel have to pack adults inmates in one cell room to create space to detain juveniles needed to be kept in cells for an offense.
Sometimes, they are transported to the Eastern Regional Police Headquarters to be kept in the DOVVSU cells.
The practice, according to Chief Superintendent Justice Anthony Aduhene-Benieh, the New Juaben South Municipal Police Commander is disturbing and unacceptable.
He is thus embarking on a personal initiative aimed at soliciting support to construct child-friendly cells this year to ensure that the rights of children in violation of the laws are protected.
“Now we don’t have cells for women here, a Police station in the Regional Busy Capital we don’t have female Cells, No Juvenile Cells, and we are happy with it? This 21 century? No. I have resolved that by the time I leave here we will get female and Juvenile cells. The constitution says that we should not mix Juveniles with adults but we are compelled to do that because we don’t have cell facility for children,” Chief Superintendent Aduhene-Benieh told Starr News.
A Mapping study commissioned by the Ghana Police Service and UNICEF in 2015 revealed similar conditions nationwide. According to the report, children in Ghana caught in conflict with the law are one of the least privileged groups in the Ghanaian society due to discrepancies in the juvenile justice system.
“Children are subject to a number of rights’ violations, beginning with detention in police stations (sharing cells with adults because there are no juvenile holding facilities); lengthy stays (sometimes up to 2-3 years) in remand homes awaiting trial because of the backlog in the courts; lack of protection mechanisms during investigation (not always provided with a guardian or probation officer) and trial (frequently without legal representation),” portions of the report read.
The New Juaben South Municipal Police Commander posted to the municipality barely nine months ago who was recently hailed for refurbishing the 68-year-old shabby District Police station and barracks ,constructing and furnishing a new CID office with the support of Corporate Organizations and Individuals told Starr News the Ghana Police Service has integrated child Friendly Policing into its operation with the help of UNICEF therefore committed to stopping the practice by similarly soliciting for support to build children friendly Cells.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah
