Seventy Judicial Poilce Officers (OPJ) charged with investigating civil crimes are receiving training to deal with juvenile cases.

The four-day training course being conducted by experts from Lawyers Without Boarders (ASF), began Thursday at Hilltop Hotel in Kigali.

It mainly focuses on how to deal with cases involving children who might be reticent to come forward with information that might help police solve their problems.

The Deputy Commissioner General of Police in Charge of Administration and Personnel, Stanley Nsabimana, noted that reticence among child victims and offenders has hindered their work.

He said that the training would equip the OPJs with capacity to ensure they gather evidence without contravening regulation of investigatory powers entrusted upon them.

"We have to balance the judicial powers to defend people mainly children facing family abuses away from the eyes of authorities,” Nsabimana noted.

He assured that the powers would only be used where there was limited evidence or intelligence against a suspect, and that the training will help police balance the rights of victims, suspects and the general public.

Nsabimana emphasised that making children victims provide evidence freely, makes it quasi impossible for suspects to deny the accusations.

The Head of Canadian Embassy mission in Rwanda, Anne-Marie Scotti, said that child related crimes are handled differently from those involving adults.

Zarir H Merat, the Head of ASF mission in Rwanda, said his work as a legal expert is to help police not rush to use legal instruments in dealing with the cases, but to first exhaust psychological tactics when working with children.

He said that the code of conduct had to be beefed up to ensure high standards in protecting fundamental rights.
The training is funded by The Canadian Embassy.

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