No minors placed in juvenile halfway house as no court orders issued

The Juvenile Halfway House in Haa Alif Hoarafushi opened in January to support children living in criminal environments or considered at risk remains unoccupied, as no court has yet ordered the placement of a child in the facility, Juvenile Justice Department has said.

Mandated under the Juvenile Justice Act, children identified as living in unsafe or criminal environments must be placed in specialized treatment centres. While two such centres have been established since the law came into force in 2019, neither has yet been utilized.

The previous administration under President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih opened a long-term residential treatment centre in Dhaalu Kudahuvadhoo and the halfway house in Hoarafushi. The latter was officially inaugurated in January this year by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

Deputy Home Minister Hassan Waheed, who oversees the Juvenile Justice Department, told Mihaaru News that the Hoarafushi facility is fully staffed and ready to operate.

“The place is ready, but no child has been brought there and treated under a court order,” he said.

Each of the two centres can accommodate up to six children at a time, Waheed said.

At a press conference, Home Minister Ali Ihusan said that children must first complete residential treatment before transitioning to halfway houses.

“Without completing the first stage, the system cannot go to the second step,” he said.

The minister added that rehabilitation efforts would begin for at-risk and priority children, noting that around 200 minors are currently on the government’s list.

The Juvenile Justice Act also requires the state to take long-term custody of at-risk children and provide residential care until they reach the age of 18. A separate long-term care facility has been established on another island for this purpose.