Securing Juvenile Justice For Children convicted of Violent Extremism Offences

Children have always been among the most vulnerable victims of violence and, at times, some of its brutal purveyors. They have played various roles in furthering violent extremism and participating in acts of violence, ranging from inciting propaganda online to carrying out deadly attacks. Rather than exceptionalising these children, their treatment under the criminal justice system should be grounded in juvenile justice standards.

To develop the work of the Managing Juveniles in Detention Initiative under the Global Counterterrorism Forum's (GCTF) Detention and Reintegration Working Group, the Government of Australia commissioned a report from the Global Center on Cooperative Security and ICCT. It was intended this would enhance the contemporary knowledge base on the management of juvenile violent extremist offenders (JVEOs) in custody, and effective interventions for risk reduction and rehabilitation of children.

The report, published in September 2017, put forth guiding principles, recommendations, and considerations for the detention, rehabilitation, and reintegration of juveniles convicted of terrorism and violent extremism-related crimes in a manner that upholds the principles and safeguards of juvenile justice. The report expands on the Neuchâtel Memorandum on Good Practices for Juvenile Justice in a Counterterrorism Context, and ICCT's & Global Center on Cooperative Security's December 2016 policy brief "Rehabilitating Juvenile Violent Extremist Offenders in Detention: Advancing a Juvenile Justice Approach".

Read the report here.