IRELAND - DETENTION CENTRE HANDCUFF CASE - DEPARTMENT RESPOND
The Department for Justice, Equality and Law Reform are remaining tight-lipped over an incident in which a child was handcuffed at a juvenile detention centre. The League wrote to the Minister for Justice, Mr Dermot Ahern TD, in May expressing concern about the issue saying that the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (Riyadh Guidelines) may have been breached.
The Department have responded (see below) saying the issue is being investigated. However, they have failed to give an assurance that there would be no repetition of the use of handcuffs and therefore the League will have to consider asking if the Council of Europe (CPT) and the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child will pursue mthe issue.
"11 August, 2008
Dear Mr Moffatt,
I am directed by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. Dermot Ahern, T.D., to refer to your correspondence of 26 May, 2008.
The Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS) is an executive office of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform with responsibility for providing strategic leadership and for driving reform in the area mof youth justice through a co-ordinated approach to reducing youth offending. The Irish Youth Justice Service remit includes responsibility for children detention schools.
The Irish Youth Justice Service has developed a Serious Incident Policy min conjunction with the children's detention schools.
The incident you refer to is being fully investigated under this process."
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J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
18/08/08
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