Save Report 2014ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT OF “STRENGTHENING OF CHILD PROECTION SYSTEM IN KHYBER...

Children are immature and dependent for these reasons they need special attention, safeguard and care including appropriate legal protection. Children are not like adults in their physical, psychological, emotional and educational needs. When children are in conflict with the law, where they are in special stage of development, the formal criminal justice system can have a negative impact on their development; such children have to be entitled with special care and assistance. If diversion from formal justice proceeding is not possible or appropriate and the child has to pass through formal judicial proceedings then there should be an obligation to reform judicial proceedings to make the judicial system responsive enough to cater to children’s development needs and the system should have the capacity of reintegration of such children. Legal practitioners should therefore explore alternative ways in the existing system to ensure that child rights are safeguarded; this could include sensitization, capacity building and coordination amongst stakeholders and service providers. to bring in practice the process of mechanism diversion, Dost has organized ten monthly meetings with the Directorate of probation officials, KP, in order to sensitize them about the existing structure of dead mechanism where children in conflict with law are often at risk. The coordination between police and probation officials is enhanced to great extent and probation officer has started now to prepare social investigation reports of juvenile cases.