Syed Hussein Al -Qassab
The Shura Council approved a draft law to amend some provisions of the law of reform justice for children and protect them from abuse, which aims to enhance the role of the Child Protection Center and give it the authority to coordinate with the Correctional Justice Court when putting the child under the judicial test, in cooperation with the competent authorities in the Ministry of Interior, according to the case.
The project reinforces the role of the Child Protection Center, affiliated with the Ministry of Social Development, as a major institution in overseeing children subject to judicial test, by providing psychological and social support, and following up their conditions and the conditions of their families periodically.
The project included the creation of a new measure, which is prohibiting the entry of a child into certain websites for periods ranging from two hours to 12 hours a day, in a move aimed at protecting them from the negative effects of some websites and social media that may negatively affect their behavior.
The Chairman of the Women and Child Affairs Committee of the Shura Council, Lina Qassem, stressed that the draft law amending some provisions of the law of reformist justice for children and protecting them from ill -treatment comes within the framework of seeking to enhance the efficiency of the reformist justice system and achieve more comprehensive and flexible justice, taking into account the best interest of the child in all procedures and measures.
She explained that the project aims to raise the level of coordination and cooperation between the authorities concerned with the rights of the child, such as the Child Protection Center and the competent authority in the Ministry of Interior, by developing procedures and facilitating their implementation in a way that takes into account the psychological and social aspects of the child, and is in his interest.
She stressed that coordination between the different parties is necessary to ensure the achievement of the noble goals carried by the law, considering that the inclusion of the Child Protection Center in the coordination mechanisms represents a sound and logical trend, given the main role of the center in caring for and protecting children.
Qasim indicated that the proposed amendments contribute to improving the speed and effectiveness of dealing with cases, and enhances the chances of rehabilitating the affected children and integrating them into society within an incubator and safe environment that guarantees them a decent life and healthy growth.
For his part, a member of the Shura Council, Hisham Al -Qassab, stressed that Bahraini legislation is witnessing a continuous development to keep pace with modern variables, especially with regard to the phenomena of bullying and violations that children are exposed to in the digital space.
He stressed the importance of raising awareness among parents regarding the necessity of adhering to the legal age that is allowed to enter children to digital platforms, noting that this responsibility also rests with the developers of these platforms to ensure a safe digital environment for children.
Al -Qassab stressed that the law should hold parents part of the legal responsibility in the event that children are allowed to use platforms that are not appropriate for their ages, stressing that protecting the child in the digital environment requires concerted legislative, awareness and technical efforts.
In turn, a member of the Shura Council, Abdullah Al -Nuaimi, stressed that the amendment contained in the draft law amending some provisions of the law of reformist justice for children and protecting them from ill -treatment aims to develop the system by adding privileges that help in caring for the child and mitigate it.
He explained that the amendments include the diversification of measures and penalties, and the reduction in the period of periodic reports, in addition to organizational additions such as the involvement of the Correctional Justice Court, the Child Protection Center, and the competent authority in the Ministry of Interior, all of which contribute to ensuring the achievement of positive and sound results for the child in the end.
Al -Nuaimi pointed out the importance of adding a special material for parental care to the child, which costs them with specific responsibilities in this framework, which enhances the role of the family in protecting and caring for the child in line with the child’s best interest.
