By Chioma Iruke
Over 45,000 children were released from detention during the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has revealed.
This was made known in its report titled, ‘More than 45,000 children released from detention during COVID-19 pandemic; evidence that child-friendly justice solutions are possible – UNICEF’.
UNICEF also noted that after it drew attention to the increased risk of contracting COVID-19 due to overcrowding in prisons, at least 84 countries agreed to release thousands of detained children since April 2020.
According to the report, which was released ahead of the World Congress on Justice with Children, over 261,000 children are held in detention globally.
“We have long known that justice systems are ill-equipped to handle the specific needs of children – a situation further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, said.
“We commend countries which heeded our call and released children from detention.
“By protecting children from conditions that could have exposed them to grave illness, these countries were able to overcome public resistance and spur innovative, age-appropriate justice solutions.
“This has proved something we already knew – child friendly justice solutions are more than possible,” she continued.
In its latest report, UNICEF is calling on governments and civil society to expand free legal aid, representation, and services for all children in detention.
“As policymakers, legal practitioners, academics, civil society, and children and young people convene at the World Congress this week, we must work together to end the detention of children,” Fore said.
