Disciplinary sanctions for minors to be abrogated in Moldova

Moldovan Deputy Speaker Mariana Palihovici on November 27 chaired a working meeting to examine and amend the legislative framework regulating disciplinary sanctions imposed to imprisoned minors, the parliament's communication and media relations department has reported.

Attending the meeting were Justice Minister Oleg Efrim, the acting director general of the Penitentiary Institutions Department, Veaceslav Ceban and the UNICEF Moldova representatives, Alexandru Stratulat and Ana Groza.

The sides discussed the abrogation of disciplinary sanctions imposed to imprisoned minor convicts and their replacement with another form of punishment that would not prejudice the rights and freedoms of the imprisoned juveniles.

Efrim said this subject is also being discussed in the context of the justice reform strategy for 2011-2016, in terms of ensuring the observance of imprisoned children's rights.

The officials have also discussed the conditions for working with minor prisoners provided for in the law and alternative education methods.

Thus, Ceban said the completion of the restoration works of the penitentiary No 10 from Goieni village will ensure the enforcement of technical conditions that allow the use of alternative disciplinary punishments.

Palihovici urged the UNICEF representatives to back the efforts of the Moldovan Justice Ministry to endow the restored penitentiary with the necessary logistics equipment in order to offer imprisoned minors an education based on fundamental values.

The Moldovan government wants to consolidate the juvenile justice system, by establishing friendly detention centres for minors violating the law and ensuring conditions for the use of an alternative punishment method that would facilitate the integration of minors into the society.

Adapted from Moldpres