CRC/C/SAU/CO/3-4 children in street situations and undertake studies to determine the root causes of the phenomenon, develop a comprehensive strategy in order to guarantee that children in street situations have access to education and health services, while taking all measures necessary to protect them. Sale, trafficking and abduction 42. The Committee urges the State party to take measures to ensure effective enforcement of the prohibition on the use of trafficked children as camel jockeys. The State party should establish mechanisms and procedures for the identification of child victims of trafficking and effectively prosecute, convict and punish child traffickers with penalties commensurate with the gravity of their crimes. Child victims of trafficking should be provided with comprehensive protective and rehabilitation services, including adequate shelter. Administration of juvenile justice 43. While noting as positive the adoption of the Judiciary Act by Royal Decree No. M/78 of 1 October 2007, which establishes chambers for juvenile cases in the criminal courts, the Committee is concerned about the absence of a comprehensive legal framework in relation to children in conflict with the law and the broad discretion given to law enforcement officials to determine, in the absence of a penal code, the offences for which children can be arrested and detained, as in the case of girls suspected of khalwa or mingling (ikhtilat) and to decide whether children are mature enough to be tried as adults. The Committee is particularly concerned that: (a) In spite of the fact that children between 7 and 15 years of age can only be subjected to disciplinary measures, judges might decide that a child below 15 is mature enough to be criminally charged and sentenced as an adult; (b) Children arrested can be detained as adults for up to 24 hours before being referred to the prosecution and for up to six months by the prosecutor’s office without being permitted to challenge their detention, and therefore may spend considerable amounts of time in jail before being brought before a judge; (c) Children are seldom provided with legal assistance to defend themselves, even when facing serious charges, and cannot be represented by their mothers because of lack of guardianship; (d) Children involved in demonstrations have been tried and sentenced, including to death, by the Specialized Criminal Court, which was created in 2008, operates under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior and had its jurisdiction extended in 2014 by the Penal Law for Crimes of Terrorism and its Financing to include anyone who “disturbs public order”; (e) The Ministry of Social Affairs can detain both boys and girls indefinitely, even when they have been neither charged with nor convicted of an offence. While such detention is subject to judicial review for boys, it is not for girls; (f) At the end of their term, detained children can only be released to the custody of their guardian, leaving them vulnerable to indefinite detention if their guardian or the institution believe that the child is in need of additional guidance and care or to having their detention extended until the age of 18 years for boys and beyond for girls; (g) Girls are highly discriminated in the justice system, as there are no female judges or lawyers in the State party, and are often detained together with adults and placed in detention centres far from their families; 12

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