AKP working on 'child dragged into crime' initiative! Increased penalties on the table
As the concept of the 'child dragged into crime' becomes a subject of public debate once again, it has been learned that the AKP is working on a new legal regulation that includes both increasing penalties and strengthening the rehabilitation process.
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The concept of the 'Child Dragged into Crime (SSÇ)', which was frequently discussed following the murder of Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi (15), has returned to the center of the agenda after Atlas Çağlayan (17) was killed by street gangs.
It has been claimed that the AKP is preparing a regulation for 'children dragged into crime' that both toughens sanctions and emphasizes the rehabilitation process.
According to the pro-government Türkiye newspaper, preparations regarding steps for increased penalties and rehabilitation are ongoing in the work closely monitored by AKP President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The report to be prepared by the research commission established in Parliament is expected to form the basis for the roadmap to be followed.
FROM THE JUDICIAL PACKAGE BACK TO THE PARLIAMENTARY AGENDA
It is planned to bring back to the parliamentary agenda the regulations that the Ministry of Justice had previously included in the 11th Judicial Package but later removed from the proposal. According to the draft, it is envisaged that the upper limit for 'children dragged into crime' between the ages of 15-18 for crimes requiring aggravated life imprisonment will be increased to 27 years.
"IF THE REHABILITATION PROCESS IS NOT SUCCESSFUL, YOU CANNOT PREVENT CRIME"
Within the AKP, there are also assessments that increasing penalties alone will not be a solution. Party sources shared the view, "A large portion of these children are from broken homes. We are in a major social vortex. Divorces are constantly increasing. No matter how much you increase the penalties, if the rehabilitation and correction process is not successful, you cannot prevent crime." The same sources stated that the academic and scientific world should also contribute to the solution process in a "solution-oriented" manner.
With the new regulations, it is aimed to prepare intervention plans specific to the needs of the child during the execution phase, taking into account the child's individual characteristics, the nature of the crime, family structure, educational status, and psychosocial conditions.
In this context, abandoning the practice of child convicts serving their sentences directly in child education centers is on the agenda. It is envisaged that the sentence will begin in closed penal institutions for children, and they will be transferred to education centers if a positive conduct assessment is made.