Once minors are involved in any kind of accusation, the law differentiates them in terms of penalties by applying different periods of time relating to the criminalized acts that they’ve taken. No crime will be taken for granted – being a minor doesn’t mean not being charged for committing a crime – but the main difference between a minor and an adult is the will to commit a crime and understanding the consequences.
The will and intent of a minor isn’t as clear and as conscious as the intent of an adult.
The law understands that the minor is at an age where his mind is still growing. Life is still a mystery to him and, maybe, some or all of his acts are taken without prior thinking.
Even when committing a crime, he wouldn’t think beforehand whether the thing that made him so angry and frustrated was worth beating, slandering, fighting, stealing or committing a crime for.
He wouldn’t understand how difficult it is to be in jail for a long period of time, or how hard it is to lose his normal life, his family and friends; to live in a jail where there’s no entertainment, a different kind of life order, and people who are not friendly with him.
A special law for juveniles between 14 and 18 years old was issued under law numbers 19 and 20 of the Kuwaiti penal law regarding penalizing crimes committed by minors. The law has also issued special regulations for minors who commit crimes when aged between 7 and 14.
Article number 19 mentions that if a juvenile commits a crime when aged 7 – 14 years old, the judge may order to put him in a juvenile rehabilitation institute instead of having him jailed. The period of time will be decided by the judge but whatever the circumstances, he must be released once he becomes 18 years old.
As for juveniles between 14 and 18 years old, law number 20 mentions clearly that the execution penalty will change to imprisonment for a period of time that doesn’t exceed 15 years.
If the penalty was imprisonment for a period of time that doesn’t exceed 15 years, then it shall change to a period of time that doesn’t exceed 10 years if a ‘minor case’.
If the minor committed a crime that is penalized with imprisonment, then the period of time should not exceed half of the maximum time that is given to the original penalty by the law.
Personally, I think that every person should participate in raising awareness between young teens about the criminal law and the consequences that will occur once they commit a crime. There must be an awareness campaign in schools against violence to educate teens about the disadvantages of having a criminal record and how it will have a severe effect on their future.
Minors are not only our sons and daughters, they’re also the youth of future so enlightening them and guiding them to the right path is our responsibility not only towards them, but also towards future generations.< Back