495- Furthermore, authors of offences relating to slavery were also punished. In The People v
Dairu Sanda Mbaa and Buinda Agnes Kwasinwi (Suit No. HCN/3/2015/ HC, Donga
Mantung Judgment of 15 April 2015), the accused persons were convicted and sentenced to
3 years imprisonment, suspended for 3 years and with fine of CFAF60,000 for trafficking of
children aged between 8 and 17 years from their Region of origin to work in plantations in
the Centre Region.
496- Similarly, in Judgment No. HCMB/215C/2016 of 31 October 2017, The People v Chama
Marceline (32 years) and Dugha Nicoline Nyonglemugha (39 years), the accused persons (2
women) stood trial for contravening the provisions of Section 2 (b) and 5 of Law No. 2011/24
of 14 December 2011, relating to the fight against trafficking in persons and slavery. Both
were charged for promoting the movement of 2 young girls for financial and other material
gains. The 2 women were given 3 years suspended sentences. The Court held that sending
minor girls to hawk hot drinks on the streets exposed them to sexual assault, economic
exploitation, and interference with the mental, moral and social development of the children
contrary to the spirit of Article 15 of African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
(ACRWC).
D: Guaranteeing the Rights of the Child in need of Special Protection
497- Considering the means of action of Boko Haram especially using children as human
bombs, the management of children associated to armed groups or forces was highlighted
together with the traditional issues of street children, children in conflict with the law,
children accompanying their mother in prison or better still, orphans and vulnerable children.
Protection of children with disability310, refugee children or displaced children is discussed
below.
1: Street Children
498- Fighting the phenomenon of street children remained a major concern. Apart from
prevention through awareness-raising of families and communities, combined pilot mobile
brigades on the prevention and fight against the phenomenon of street children were set up in
Douala and Yaounde. Thus, between 2013 and 2017, out of 717 street children identified by
the said brigades, 410 were retrieved from the streets and either returned to their families or
placed in some of the institutions in charge of child supervision and rehabilitation311.
499- Many partnerships were established with a view to the socioeconomic integration of
street children in particular with the National Civic Service Agency for Participation in
Development or the National Employment Fund. In the latter case, the Vocational Integration
of Vulnerable Persons Support Programme comprises a Socio-vocational reintegration of
Street Children Support Project. In 2018, the Project helped place 53 street children in
independent jobs.
2: Children in Conflict with the Law
500 - Since resocialization is one of the main orientations of juvenile justice, the consolidation
of structures and capacity development of different stakeholders was given priority with a
view to better treatment of children in conflict with the law.
501- Since prison statistics showed that the number of minor detainees was higher than the
number of convicts, more attention was paid to guaranteeing the effectiveness of alternative
310
See Section 2
The following institutions are concerned: Institution Camerounaise de l’Enfance, Netamba;Borstal Institute,
Buea; Centre d’Accueil et d’Observation, Bepanda, and in Private Charity homes.
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