NCJ Number
166270
Date Published
1996
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The article describes Norway's approach to the matter of children who commit serious offenses.
Abstract
In Norway children who have committed serious offenses are dealt with by the welfare system and not by the criminal justice system. The age of criminal responsibility is 15 and children who commit offenses below that age do not appear in court. There is no juvenile court system. When a child below the age of 15 offends, whether seriously or not, the police are enjoined to report the matter to the social services, who must investigate. The police also must find out what happened, and provide a reliable and as fully documented account as possible of the sequence of events. It is impermissible for young people to be placed in prison or in any kind of physical security until they reach the age of 16. Offenders under 18 very rarely go to prison. Two-thirds of a sentence is served in an institution, but it is not unusual for young people to be released earlier to alternative forms of treatment or to pursue their education. Denmark has a social court, not a family court, which considers alternative care for children who are found to be out of control and where parental care and control is inadequate, and which deals with issues of child protection. In short, Denmark has a welfare-oriented system, in terms of punishment for young people over 15 and in total terms for those under 15.