Upper Manya Assembly asked to provide juvenile cells

The Upper Manya District Assembly, has been asked to provide juvenile cells, so that the police can keep children under investigation there.

The call was made by participants at an annual review meeting on prevention and combating violence against juveniles in justice institutions at Asesewa, at the weekend.

Juveniles on detention in the district are sent to police cells in Koforidua, and brought back to face trail at Asesewa.

This situation delays juvenile justice because the police find it difficult to transport the juveniles to court.

The meeting was organized by Passion Care International, a non-governmental organization (NGO), with sponsorship from Plan Ghana, and the Ghana NGO Coalition on the Right of the Child.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the judiciary, Ghana Police Service, Department of Social Welfare, National Commission on Civic Education, the Ghana Education Service, the Upper Manya District Assembly and NGOs.

The participants reviewed the role of the various institutions in protecting the interest of young people who break the law and end up in cells, in the district.

The participants recommended that the Assembly should provide vehicles for the police to convey detained juveniles in cells in Koforidua, to court at Asesewa, and to provide money for their feeding.**