Children in conflict with the law have the right to be treated in a way that promotes their sense of dignity and worth, encourages their reintegration into society, and supports their constructive roles in society.
In this context, traditional punishment methods often fail to take into account children's physical and psychological development, as well as their emotional and educational needs. This situation further highlights the need to encourage children to focus on rehabilitation and restorative justice goals.
In fact, UNICEF's Child Protection Strategy (2021-2030) places the prevention of crime and violence against children at the center of its approach. The strategy includes access to justice as one of its thematic priorities, including the support of restorative justice approaches and the dissemination of diversion plans. In this context, the dissemination and prioritization of diversion practices, the standard implementation of restorative justice approaches, and the integration of mental health and psychosocial support in juvenile justice systems are important issues.
Moderated by Raphael Hamunyela, Commissioner General, Namibian Correctional Service, Namibia
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Emre Özcan
Judge, Head of the Child Services Department, Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Türkiye
Emre Özcan, who started his duty in 2009, worked as a public prosecutor in various provinces since 2012.
Emre Özcan, who has been working as a judge at the Court of Cassation since 2015, started working as a judge at the Ministry of Justice in 2019. He made presentations at numerous national and international meetings, conferences and symposiums at the Ministry of Justice.
In 2022, he worked for 3 months at the General Directorate of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and was appointed as the Head of the Department of Children's Services at the Ministry of Justice in the same year. In addition to child handover and personal relationship procedures for the reunification of children of divorced families with their parents, he is involved in numerous studies including measures taken in accordance with the Child Protection Law, Juvenile Justice Centers, and prevention of repeat offending in children dragged into crime. His doctoral studies in the field of Criminal Law are ongoing.
