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An office of Probation was established and have their role governed by the CPW Act.
They conduct enquiries into age determination and should play a pivotal role in the
restorative justice process. Establishment of Children's Courts ensures that children in
conflict with the law are dealt with differently to adults.
JTC is the only detention centre in the country for children and only accepts male
offenders. Currently female children convicted of an offence and sentenced to time in
custody are detained in adult women's prisons. If they are held in Maseru women’s
prison they attend school at JTC.
Progress
More alternative forms of dispute resolution are envisaged under the CPW Act which
would tie in with the cultural practice of disputes being dealt with at the community level.
There has been one round of trainings conducted with the judiciary and probations unit
by MOJ and the University of Western Cape in late 2013 and two more are planned for
2014.
Difficulties
An evaluation of the CGPU conducted in 2007 indicated that the capacity of the CGPU
to perform its function is weak. At the time of the evaluation, there were inadequate
personnel to cover the entire jurisdiction in each district, and CGPU staff members were
not properly trained on gender and child-related work. This remains largely unchanged.
Among CGPU staff, none had been specifically recruited to work in the Unit but rather
had been transferred without choice. Even where officers are trained in children's
matters they can be transferred to other units such as traffic without notice.
Furthermore, the evaluation revealed that CGPU staff did not have proper supplies and
logistical support, including limited transportation, minimal computer literacy, lack of
good and secure office space and safe houses for children in need of custody, and no
walkie-talkies, wireless devices, or cameras for documenting evidence.
Although the CGPU is mandated to provide a user-friendly reporting environment that
ensures confidentiality and responds to and promptly investigates all cases involving
vulnerable groups, the evaluation revealed that CGPU services do not afford the
expected confidentiality and reporter friendliness. Prompt responses to reported cases
and follow-up of clients were very poor.
In 2005-06, UNICEF assisted the CGPU with the development of a computerized
database of reported children’s and women’s sexual abuse cases to help collect
accurate data on the incidence of sexual abuse and to generate quality reports. The aim
of the database is to capture details of reported cases and to make accurate, updated
data available at all times to service providers and senior policy makers to keep them
informed of the magnitude of the problem. It also aims to improve referral links between