The Director of the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has reacted furiously to the remand of three juvenile offenders at the Pademba Road Correctional Center for nearly two months. She raised the alarm after the Legal Aid Board secured their release on bail on Tuesday, 18 October 2016.
‘I have no idea why the boys were not remanded at the Dems Juvenile Remand Home at Kingtom in Freetown,’ she said. ‘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 noted that the lack or inadequacy of detention facilities for children is a serious challenge facing the justice sector. She also 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 said. ‘This an issue I will take up with the Chief Justice, the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs and the Inspector General of police.’
The three boys who age between fourteen to seventeen years were arrested on diverse dates between the 6 to the 9 August 2016 and detained at the Mountain Police Station close to the United State Embassy at IMMAT for allegedly stealing 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 charged with robbery with aggravation and started appearing at the Magistrate Court No. 5 presided over by Magistrate Bangura on the 14 August 2016. The boys are being represented in court by Hadiru Dabor of the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board.
By: Joseph Dumbuya
‘I have no idea why the boys were not remanded at the Dems Juvenile Remand Home at Kingtom in Freetown,’ she said. ‘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 noted that the lack or inadequacy of detention facilities for children is a serious challenge facing the justice sector. She also 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 said. ‘This an issue I will take up with the Chief Justice, the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs and the Inspector General of police.’
The three boys who age between fourteen to seventeen years were arrested on diverse dates between the 6 to the 9 August 2016 and detained at the Mountain Police Station close to the United State Embassy at IMMAT for allegedly stealing 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 charged with robbery with aggravation and started appearing at the Magistrate Court No. 5 presided over by Magistrate Bangura on the 14 August 2016. The boys are being represented in court by Hadiru Dabor of the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board.
By: Joseph Dumbuya
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