Hårdt for unge i Zimbabwes fængsler

After his arrest he was detained for two days in a holding cell in Harare, where he alleged police assaulted him to extract a confession that he stole goods from his neighbour’s home.

Dube’s mother, who declined to be identified, told IRIN that after her son’s return from jail he had become withdrawn, has frequent temper tantrums (raserianfald), as well as a persistent cough (hoste) and symptoms of scurvy (skørbug).

“He suffers frequent nightmares and often wakes up crying. He does not tell us much about his experiences in jail but it is easy to see that he went through a tough time,” she said.

Dube was remanded in custody for seven weeks prior to his trial.

Dzimbabwe Chimbga, programme manager of local NGO Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), said juveniles were jailed for numerous crimes, including armed robbery, theft, fraud (svindel), rape and murder.

But his organization was “alarmed that the minors (mindreårige) are lumped up with hard core criminals in cramped conditions” while awaiting trial, sometimes for six months.

“Zimbabwe has no policy of separating the juveniles (unge), whether they are awaiting trial or have been convicted, and this trend is pervasive throughout the country. It is a fundamental human rights violation as it subjects them to sexual, physical, psychological and emotional abuse (misbrug), not to mention the fact that the health and food situations are horrible,” he said.

Chimbga said ZLHR had received an acknowledgment from the Justice Ministry that there was a need to establish a detention facility specifically for juvenile offenders.

“Existing infrastructure in our prisons is not conducive (fremmende) for juveniles and female prisoners with children,” said prisons commissioner Paradzai Zimondi during a tour of prisons in 2010.

Official figures on juveniles serving jail terms are not available.

Struggling to survive