UN condemn locking up of juvenile prisoners amongst adults (Aruba: sexual & other violence is taking place against prisoners in the KIA)

The United Nations Committee against Torture goes on record and criticizes Aruba for their treatment of prisoners.

 … the huge number of prisoners that are not sentenced in the Antilles and Aruba. They also criticized the sexual abuse and other violence against prisoners that is taking place in Aruba.

The committee also paid attention to the situation in Aruba, where sexual- and other violence is taking place against prisoners in the KIA. This is supposedly done by police officers and prison guards and/or they have no control over this.

Amigoe, May 21, 2007: UN condemn locking up of juvenile prisoners amongst adults

WILLEMSTAD/GENEVA – The United Nations’ Committee against Tortures in Geneva criticized the locking up of juvenile prisoners amongst adults, the custody that lasts much too long, and due to this, the huge number of prisoners that are not sentenced in the Antilles and Aruba. They also criticized the sexual abuse and other violence against prisoners that is taking place in Aruba.

The UN Committee against Torture reports this after her 38th meeting, where reporting of 7 countries were considered. Other than in the Netherlands, the situation in Denmark, Luxembourg, Italy, Ukraine, Japan, and Poland was also investigated. Basic principle of this is the Convention against Tortures from 1984 that was signed by a total of 144 countries.

When discussing the subject the Netherlands, the committee that falls under the High Commissioner of the UN paid most attention to the situation of the juvenile prisoners in the Antillean and Aruban prison. The committee condemns the locking up of juvenile prisoners among adults. The committee says that this has to end, with the biggest immediacy. As already known, there is no special juvenile prison in the Antilles or in Aruba. In some cases, juvenile delinquents are placed with the Foba (Forensic Observation and Counseling department) or the not-confined GOG (Government’s Reformatory), but that is not always possible. When placing juvenile delinquents in the Bon Futuro-prison, their age is definitely being considered and they are not placed amongst the heaviest felons. According to the committee, as part of the rehabilitation, the Antilles lacks an educational reformation program for the punished juvenile in order to improve their return in the society. Schooling and training must be part of that.

ARUBA
The committee also paid attention to the situation in Aruba, where sexual- and other violence is taking place against prisoners in the KIA. This is supposedly done by police officers and prison guards and/or they have no control over this. The committee wants the Netherlands to take measures to stop this.
The committee is very concerned about the fact that between 2005 and 2007, a big number of assaults were reported and that just a few, 2 of he 49, were taken to court. But both cases were not sentenced due to c\lack of evidence. The reportage has nothing to do with the visit of the CPT- and the UN committee that investigates torture and violation of human rights in the prisons of the Antilles and Aruba, which is planned for the end of this month. Justice-minister David Dick already indicated that he does not rule out hard negative opinion considering the situation in the Curacao and St. Maarten prisons. A few human rights organizations have pointed out the unbearable situation to the Antillean government.

THE NETHERLANDS
The UN-committee also criticized the accelerated procedures with the Immigration law that was introduced in the Netherlands in 2000. This law makes it very difficult for an asylum seeker to substantiate his/her petition. They do not get enough time to argue their case. The committee is also not happy with the long time that asylum seekers are locked up in the Netherlands.