The current Palestinian Authority-administered juvenile justice system dates from before the international system safeguarding children’s rights was in place, and deals with a child as the perpetrator rather than as a victim. It also focuses on punishment and not on rehabilitation. This fails to fully respect the human rights of the child.

PA security forces arrested 2,455 children in 2013, the majority of whom were boys. Some reported violence from police and security officers.

Children report due process rights violations during arrest and interrogation and being denied food, water and access to a bathroom during their detention. Facilities are poor, and children are frequently held in separate cells within adult prisons or police stations rather than in juvenile centers.

DCI-Palestine campaigns for national laws that reflect international standards to safeguard the rights of children in PA-controlled areas.