Det danske Fredsakademi
Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 12. maj 2004 / Time Line May 12, 2004
Version 3.005/12/2004
Detained Children Abuse Allegations Surface
Unicef ‘Profoundly Disturbed’ By Allegations Of Abuse
Of Detained Children The United Nations Children’s Fund
UNICEF) is profoundly disturbed by news reports alleging that
children might have been among those abused in detention centres
and prisons in Iraq, a spokesman said today.
“Although the news reports have not been independently
substantiated, they are alarming nonetheless,” UNICEF
spokesman Damien Personnaz told a news briefing in Geneva, adding
that any mistreatment, sexual abuse, exploitation or torture of
children in detention is a violation of international law.
Mr. Personnaz’s statement was the latest reaction by a UN
body to widely disseminated reports and photographs of abuse of
detainees by United States-led coalition personnel in Iraq. Last
week Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand
Ramcharan expressed revulsion regarding the reports and
photographs.
The detention or imprisonment of a child must be used only as a
measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of
time, and for their safety and protection children should never be
incarcerated with adults, Mr. Personnaz said.
“All persons in detention must be treated with humanity and
with respect for their inherent dignity as human beings,” he
added. “In particular, States had an obligation to protect
children and to ensure that their officials were aware of, trained
in, and complied with the relevant international
standards.”
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