mothers to school and cases of banning pregnant girls from attending
education and exams.
7.8. Special measures of protection
i. Refugee/asylum seeking children and child trafficking:
The Committee notes the establishment of the Liberian national police to
investigate human trafficking cases and the launching of the National Action
Plan Against Trafficking. The Committee also notes the placing of internally
displaced children in safe homes or foster care while family tracing is ongoing
as well as the provision of resettlement packages (Cash, food & non-food
items) to returnees upon arrival or point of entries and to unaccompanied
children.
ii. Children in conflict with the law:
The Committee notes the establishment of the Child Justice Unit under the
Ministry of Justice; the development of Juvenile Diversion Guideline and
subsequent launching of a Juvenile Diversion Program in all 15 counties to
ensure that detention of children remain a matter of last resort, and that
children are channeled away from formal judicial proceedings using
restorative justice approach.
However the Committee notes that children who are 16 years and above can
be sentenced with capital punishment and the lack of separate facility for
juveniles at Monrovia Central Prison. The Committee further notes that there
is still only one juvenile court in the Country.
iii. Children of incarcerated mothers/primary caregivers:
The Committee notes that mothers in conflict with the law do not face
incarceration for petty offences, and if the mother is incarcerated for other
offences the child is given to immediate family member.
iv. Sexual abuse and exploitation:
The Committee notes the following developments in combating sexual abuse
and exploitation; decentralization of Women and Children Police Services
across the 15 counties with the establishment of 72 offices nationwide with
officers trained locally and internationally on women and children protection
and sexual and gender based violence; provision of psychosocial services to
children, availability of free legal services for children in 7 counties; the
establishment of additional two courts specialized on rape cases; and the
launching of the Spotlight initiative with a 4 year plan and sensitization around
the reporting mechanism.
However the Committee notes that rape and other sexual abuse remains to
be a critical issue in the country with 65% of the victims being adolescent,