Dar es Salaam. The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) has raised concern over the presence of child suspects in an ongoing criminal case at the Bunda District Court, warning that the situation may contravene national and international laws protecting minors.
In a press statement, LHRC executive director Ms Anna Henga said the organisation had established that two of the 21 suspects charged in Criminal Case No. 21 are children aged below 18.
According to the rights group, the accused persons in the case face three serious charges—treason, arson involving public buildings and armed robbery.
However, LHRC said the inclusion of minors in the proceedings raises legal and ethical concerns.
“For ethical reasons, the identities of the children cannot be disclosed. The two minors are identified only as T3 and T19 in the charge sheet,” Ms Henga said.
She further claimed that the two children are currently being detained in prison facilities together with adult suspects despite their age.
LHRC argues that such an arrangement violates provisions of the Law of the Child Act, which requires children in conflict with the law to be handled through specialised child justice procedures rather than the ordinary criminal justice system.
Ms Henga said the current situation appears inconsistent with both national legislation and international conventions protecting children.
She cited the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which emphasise special protection and appropriate legal treatment for minors involved in judicial proceedings.
“The law clearly stipulates that children who come into conflict with the law should be handled within the child justice system. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and other justice authorities should take immediate action,” the statement reads in part.
Among its recommendations, LHRC urged the DPP to remove the minors from the ongoing criminal proceedings and ensure that procedures outlined under the Law of the Child Act are followed.
The organisation also called on prison authorities in Bunda to transfer the minors from adult detention facilities, stressing that children should not be held together with adult inmates.
In addition, LHRC urged the magistrate presiding over the case to observe provisions of child protection laws during the proceedings.
