Kids’ role in violent looting ‘concerning’

Children’s rights lobbyists have strongly denounced the participation of minors in the violent looting and rioting sweeping across South Africa.

Internationally renowned child rights and child protection consultant Joan van Niekerk yesterday described it as “very, very concerning”.

The last official count provided yesterday afternoon put the total number of people arrested in the ongoing unrest at 1 754.

While Saps spokesperson Colonel Brenda Muridili could yesterday not confirm how many of them were minors, she did say cases had been registered against children as young as 14 years old.

Children have also been seen taking part in the looting, both live and in widely circulated video footage.

The University of Pretoria’s Centre for Child Law issued a statement this week, condemning the violence and moreover, the participation of children.

“Any person who is below the age of 18 years is a child and should be treated as such,” the centre said.

“Without a doubt, the opportunity at hand has deprived children of the opportunity to live and act like children.”

But the centre also urged law enforcement officials to toe the line and enforce and comply with the standards set out in the Child Justice Act when dealing with minor accused persons.

“Our law enforcement officers need to be mindful that a child need not be detained unless it is a matter of last resort. Where the release from detention is impossible, detention must be for the shortest possible time. While in detention, children must be separated from adults and girls must be separated from boys,” it stressed.

“Pragmatic steps must be taken to ensure the safe release of a child into the care and custody of the caregiver pending appearance in the appropriate forum”.

The centre said with schools closed, children had nothing to keep them occupied and this might have galvanised their involvement.

“In a way it makes acceptable behaviour that really is not,” Van Niekerk said yesterday.

She said the consequences of the present anarchy were going to be “horrifying” for children.

“It’s children on the ground who are going to have the most appalling long-term consequences,” she said, pointing out the threat to food security.