Annual Full Day Discussion on the Rights of the Child

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Statement by A u s t r i a

Madame President,

Safeguarding the rights of children in contact or conflict with the law is a priority area of Austrian engagement in the Human Rights Council. Our resolution initiatives on human rights in the administration of justice have repeatedly had a focus on juvenile justice in which we sought to address all aspects of this complex issue. It is therefore with great pleasure that we see the enhanced attention the Council pays to this important topic. We look forward to further activities of the Council and all its mechanisms to increase the protection of all children in contact (or conflict) with the law.

We would like to thank all the panelists for their excellent interventions and would like to contribute to the debate with the following questions:

Ms. Winter, on the topic of diversion we would like to know whether you have information on recidivism of children who have benefited from diversion measures. What does the rate of recidivism depend on? How does it compare to children who were incarcerated?

Also, on the same subject, we would like to know the costs of diversion in comparison to sending children to prison. Which of the two alternatives is less costly, especially when looking at both direct and indirect costs?

We would also like to thank Mr. Caparros Linares for his brave statement. We commend your courage to share your own experience with this audience. Allow us to ask you a question regarding the reaction of your community and society after you left the juvenile justice system. What helped you in dealing with the stigma of having been in prison? What do you think could have helped you to overcome prejudice by the society or institutions?

In conclusion, we would like to once again thank all panelists for their contributions. We look forward to the continuation of this fruitful debate.

I thank you.