Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş stressed that a new draft bill on juvenile crime primarily aims to prevent children from being dragged into a life of crime.
Göktaş was speaking to broadcaster NTV on Thursday on the bill announced earlier this week by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
The bill is one of the most comprehensive ones on children involved in crime, but its highlight has been the introduction of life sentences for convicts at the age of 15, though it would be at the discretion of the court.
Göktaş underlined that the proposed bill would strengthen the mechanism to protect children and prevent crime.
"Our goal is to identify, minimize and eliminate the risks children face before they are drawn into crime. For children who do enter the judicial process, we aim to establish an effective coordination mechanism from the very beginning, working in close cooperation with the judiciary and all relevant institutions,” she said.
She stated that all protective measures for children will be consolidated under a single framework. She explained that once a child becomes involved in the judicial process, the relevant institutions will be notified simultaneously so that protective measures can be implemented without delay. She added that, under the ministry's coordination, all relevant institutions will be integrated into the process. At the local level, commissions established within provincial governorates will monitor child protection measures on a case-by-case basis.
