Blame it on bad treatment by officials, say experts

“Police said it was the end of the month and police log such cases to increase the number of cases booked,” said the mother, who had come to meet her ward at the Government Observation Home for Boys and Girls at Kellys said. 

The juveniles, most of whom are first- time offenders, are treated like convicts by the present system, say experts. “The staff at the government observation homes are not trained to handle children. They are not permanent staff. They see this posting as a curse,” a senior police official said. 

The advocates who handle cases booked under Juvenile Justice Act say that most of these children commit a crime due to societal pressure. A Narayanan of Change India, who has been fighting the cause of juveniles in conflict with the law, said the government has been sleeping on the suggestions to improve the maintenance and handling of children at government observation homes, despite a direction from the Madras High Court and from the Juvenile Justice Committee. “These children are not hardened criminals. They need sensitive handling. The system does not provide them bail, they are not allowed to meet with their parents and the staff at the observation homes are violent and treat them like criminals. So they end up as hardened criminals,” Narayanan said. He said he had provided 16 suggestions which were accepted by both Madras High Court and Juvenile Justice Committee but none were implemented. 

Geetha Ramaseshan, a senior advocate told DT Next that when that much of their energy is constrained in a cramped room, with ill-mannered staff, such things are bound to happen. “The main reason I believe is the delay in disposing of the cases against these children. Observation homes are like transit hubs where children are detained till the cases are disposed of. As per the JJ Act the case should be disposed of within three months but it never happens,” she added.