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High-risk Offenders under the Age of 18 The judicial perspective by Liv Synnøve Taraldsrud, judge. The Norwegian legal system. The age of criminal responsibility is 15 years There are no special courts for young offenders
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High-risk Offendersunder the Age of 18The judicial perspective byLiv Synnøve Taraldsrud, judge
The Norwegian legal system • The age of criminal responsibility is 15 years • There are no special courts for young offenders • The criminal cases concerning young offenders are also taken care of by the children social welfare-system Saksforberedelse
The dilemmas • Prison is not at good alternative for young offenders according to UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Saksforberedelse
Young Offenders in Prison? • Detention in custody • Imprisonment after a verdict Saksforberedelse
Detention in custody • Often no good alternatives are given to the judge • How long shall the detention last? • How do the detention influence the child? • Other problems? Saksforberedelse
Normal Criminal Cases • Why do a judge have to sentence children to prison? • Imprionment seldom makes the child less criminal • Imprisonment is often harder for a child than for an adult Saksforberedelse
Normal Criminal Cases continue • The community’s right to be secure • The community demand a reaction to serious crime • The interest of the victims Saksforberedelse
Conclusion? • May be the interest of the childe is more important than the interest of the community? • It is important to find a sentence that is good for the child and maybe will make a diccerence to the child’s criminal activities Saksforberedelse