Videos: World Congress on Justice for Children

From 28–30 May 2018, Penal Reform International, led by the Middle East and North Africa office, co-hosted the World Congress on Justice for Children in Paris.

The Congress brought together around 1000 experts and young people from 97 countries to discuss how to strengthen child-friendly justice systems and tackle challenges, including the recruitment of children by violent extremists.

These videos offer a snapshot of the lively debates, powerful testimonies and fantastic speakers at the Congress.

Renate Winter, President of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, discusses the keynote speech that she gave on the first day of the Congress:

Dirk van Zyl Smit, Chair of the Board of Penal Reform International, emphasises that when children come into contact with the criminal justice system, the priority must be the best interests of the child, with detention as a last resort:

Farida Abbas Khalaf, who escaped ISIS, shares her powerful story of being kidnapped from her village in Iraq, which became part of Daesh’s occupation plan. All of the men in the village were killed, including Farida’s father and son, and the women and children were put in prison:

Huw Williams, Associate Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology and Co-Director of the Centre for Clinical Neuropsychology Research (CCNR), speaks about the importance of understanding neuro-developmental maturity when looking at why children commit crime: