North Carolina is the only US state in which children aged 6 and older can be prosecuted. Now lawmakers are concerned to raise this bar to 10 years.
Liana Hunter, an employee of the New Hanover County Public Defender's Office, said that:
– The youngest offender I saw in the courtroom was an 8-year-old boy. He was sitting on a chair, and his legs did not reach the floor.
North Carolina holds the world record for the minimum age at which children can be prosecuted. International human rights organizations recommend doing this if necessary, starting at the age of 14.
– Six-year-old … He goes to kindergarten, or first grade. Such a child does not understand the essence of the trial, does not understand what is happening. It is possible that he does not even know his address yet. These children believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, not in the justice system. says Hunter.
Numerous studies also show that bringing a child to justice does more harm than good.
Juvenile trials are not uncommon in North Carolina. Recently, a court hearing was held there in accordance with all the rules, at which the issue of punishing a 6-year-old boy who plucked a tulip from a flower bed was decided.
