Amnesty: Amendment in Juvenile Justice Act will have serious implications
August 07, 2014  16:02
The Indian government must reject proposed amendments to laws that could allow children to be treated as adults in cases of serious crimes, Amnesty International India has said.

"We believe amendment in Juvenile Justice Act will have serious implications, it is not right," says Gopika Basi, spokesperson Amnesty International India.

Shashikumar Velath of Amnesty India, also said, "Children can and do sometimes commit crimes as violent as those committed by adults. And the pain and anger of a victim or their family may well be the same regardless of whether a crime was committed by a child or an adult."

"But children's culpability, even when they commit 'adult' crimes, is different because of their immaturity," he said in a statement. "Their punishment should acknowledge this difference, reflect children's special capacity for reform and rehabilitation, and be grounded in an understanding of adolescent psychology.'
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