“I have no idea why the boys were not remanded at the Dems Juvenile Remand Home at Kingtom in Freetown,” she wondered, noting, “Assuming the Home is full, the best interest of the children should have been given primacy by granting them bail rather than remanding them at the Pademba Road Correctional Center.”
Ms. Carlton-Hanciles pointed that the lack of or inadequacy detention facilities for children is a serious challenge facing the justice sector. She lamented the stress juvenile offenders are being subjected to, having to travel long distances to attend court sittings. “Our Paralegals are grappling with these problems all over the country, whether it is in Port Loko in the North or Kono in the East,” she pointed out, noting, “This an issue I will take up with the Chief Justice, the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs and the Inspector General of police,” she warned.
The three boys whose ages range from fourteen to seventeen years were according to court sources, arrested on diverse dates between the 6th and 9th August 2016 and detained at the Mountain Police Station close to the United States Embassy. They are alleged to have stolen a phone and an amplifier from a ghetto. They spent between 5 to 9 days in cell while the matter was being investigated.
They were subsequently charged with robbery with aggravation and started appearing at the Magistrate Court No. 5 presided by Magistrate Bangura on the 14th August 2016. The boys are being represented in court by Hadiru Dabor of the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board.
Awoko
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