Support for the criminal policy network’s statement: Yes, there is a need for a nationwide uniform catalog of measures for under-14-year-olds in a strengthened child and youth welfare system
Vienna (OTS) – “Today’s press foyer after the Council of Ministers highlighted a failure on the part of the government: Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Justice Minister Alma Zadić spoke today about various legislative proposals. Unfortunately, no cross-departmental working group of all those responsible has yet been set up on the topic of criminal responsibility and offenses among young people, which has been debated in recent weeks Government departments appointed.
By the end of April, a first interim report is to be drawn up by a working group of Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler and Interior Minister Gerhard Karner with a focus on the different age limits for criminal responsibility within Europe. We believe that simply waiting for these results and then reacting is not enough. We urgently appeal to the government to at least work on improvements in the justice, interior, family and youth departments with the participation of all federal states and experts.
We fully support today’s statement by the Criminal Policy Network on the age of criminal responsibility. There is nothing more to add to this evidence-based expertise.
A reduction to under 14 years would be a clear violation of children’s rights according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. What is definitely needed is a nationwide, uniform catalog of measures for under-14-year-olds in a strengthened child and youth welfare system.
The federal states must be specifically involved here. Other government projects that can be implemented immediately also pursue the common goal of ensuring that children experience or perpetrate less violence as they grow up: for example, the effective implementation of the National Action Plan to combat child poverty adopted in December 2023, additional resources for mandatory child protection concepts in Austria’s schools from 2024/2025, health insurance-financed psychotherapy for everyone who needs it, or care from day 1 for unaccompanied young refugees.”
says today from the Austrian Children’s Rights Network, an association of 53 organizations and institutions for the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Austria www.kinderhabenrechte.at
Questions & Contact:
Children’s Rights Network Austria
Elisabeth Schaffelhofer-Garcia Marquez
0676880111016
elisabeth.schaffelhofer@kinderhabenrechte.at
www.kinderhabenrechte.at