Subject: Visit to Juvenile Delinquent Home Juvenile Delinquents and Destitutes

Can’t our society afford toilets for our children locked in delinquent homes. Children whether normal, delinquent or destitute must be treated as children. If we can afford so much for our ruling elites why not for our children.

You have to have a visit to juvenile delinquent home located at Fatasil Ambari to feel the wretched living condition of the children, yet to be proved criminals and destitutes. Out of 90 children, 51 are delinquents and rest are destitutes. 51 so called delinquents are cramped in one single room without toilet facilities. At night they are locked in to sleep there and to pass urine etc. in the locked room itself.

Sexually active teenagers are allowed to sleep with non-adolescent children. It is known to breed homosexuality in this type of setting.

Many of the children are locked there for petty crimes like theft and traveling without tickets. They are lodged with hard core criminals like rapists, kidnappers and murders (under 18 years). This will turn petty criminals into more serious offenders

Most of the children are having contagious conditions like scabies, chicken pox and other viral and fungal skin diseases. Almost all are anemic and having vitamin A and other vitamin deficiencies.

There is lack of basic health services like vaccination, regular health check up, deworming, vitamin and iron supplementation. There is lack of basic hygiene. Children need good nutrition.

Due to presence of sexually active children they need regular screening for HIV and hepatitis B and C and also need the education to prevent AIDS.

Aim of keeping children in delinquent homes is to make them useful members of society. This can be done only with intense educational programmes and vocational training. Children need to play and have entertainment facilities like TV and dance and drama activities.