Children in gangs may be victims

IN the Anti-Gang bill there should be special consideration for children in gangs who may be victims themselves, says Opposition Senator Taharqa Obika. “In this application of law I submit what about the rights of our nation’s children? What about children who fall into the trap of peer pressure who inadvertently become classified as gang members. I want to submit today that there should be a special consideration...for children.”

He was contributing to Senate debate on Tuesdsy on the Anti-gang bill. He pointed out being a gang member receives imprisonment for 10 years and upon subsequent conviction for 20 years. He said for children under 16 who are placed in a correctional facility for a decade may result in in breeding and graduating criminals instead of actual correction.

He pointed out that he could not find any part of the bill which spoke about the minimum age for a child where they would not be considered to be prosecuted and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said there was no minimum age in the bill.

Obika said having been a teacher for more than a decade he believes deviant behaviour can be changed in adolescence if it is discovered that the gang members are themselves victims.