South America

Peru

Legal assistance for juveniles in conflict with the law

Active in Peru since 1973, Terre des hommes (Tdh) set up health and nutrition programmes. Today Tdh runs projects providing assistance to children in conflict with the law and preventing and combating urban violence. In 2011, more than 1,585 people benefited from Tdh’s activities.

Context

In spite of positive economic growth over the last few years, unemployment in Peru is high, and there still is a significant gap between rich and poor. The main victims are children and young people who have no access to the education system, which is essential if they are to improve their economic situation. Crime in Peru has increased in recent years. Gangs (known as “pandillas”) control poorer neighbourhoods and recruit children and young people to work in drug trafficking. Large numbers of young people are currently incarcerated in Peru, regardless of the penal code’s provisions promoting an alternative to detention for minors. With high unemployment rates, it is difficult to convince children and young people that crime is not the answer to their problems.

Our intervention

Juvenile justice – Since 2002, Terre des hommes (Tdh) has been offering legal assistance to young people and helping them escape a life as a criminal. Tdh acts on their behalf, demonstrating to the government and local councils that there is an alternative to imprisonment. These young people have benefited from educational and social measures that favour integration into family and society.

Cooperation with local authorities – Tdh shares its experience and knowledge with local authorities through a specialised journal on juvenile justice published in collaboration with the local partner Encuentros: www.justiciaparacrecer.org. Tdh raises awareness amongst operators of justice and authorities through ongoing training on the problems faced by children in conflict with the law.
Download the last issue of Justicia par crecer (in Spanish).

Institutional developement – Tdh accompanied the institutional development of our national partner in charge of the health and nutrition projects until its financial autonomy. Since 2011, Kusi Warma thus ensures the continuing of community actions for the prevention of chronic malnutrition in Ventanilla.

Centered at -75.15152 -9.189967 6

Places of intervention : Lima, Chiclayo

Projects : Legal assistance for children in conflict with the law ● Prevention of urban violence

In joint cooperation with : Encuentros Casa de la Juventud, Public prosecution, Administration of Justice, Min. Interior, Min. Women and Social Affairs, government, Ombudsman

Delegate : Véronique Henry

Expatriate staff : 1

National staff : 5

Budget : 599'462 CHF

Gallery

Latest News

27 Jan 2012 • Juvenile justice Peru
Peru: Fight against violence in schools

After cases of persecution in Peruvian schools, the rulings of the law regarding good behaviour in schools have been approved, and are based in particular on Tdh's experience in restorative juvenile justice. Read more
21 Oct 2011 • Juvenile justice Peru
Peru: Film – Give a second chance to young delinquents

A presentation of the situation in which young delinquents live, interviews with former gang members, this film shows the challenge of Tdh and its partners to help these youths escape life as a criminals. Read more

Side Notes

What Tdh can do in Peru with:

• CHF 50.-: offer alternative schooling to young criminals or drug addicts for 3 months
• CHF 400.-: training for an educator to learn penal mediation (120 hours)

Children’s situation

• 60% of children live below the poverty line in Peru
• 2,442 children are in prison, built for only 640 of them

Achievements 2011

In Peru, the Restorative Juvenile Justice (JJR) project was implemented in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Lima and Chiclayo. Tdh and the Peruvian public prosecutor offered assistance to 653 adolescents starting from their detention at the police station, and 167 of them participated in a psycho-educational orientation programme in a non-incarceration setting. Supported by a specialised team, these adolescents at odds with the law took part in a process to assume responsibility for the offences they had committed, make restitution for damages and restore the social link with their communities. A number of their victims also received support from the same team. Moreover, the focus on preventing violence at school resulted in teachers, pupils and parents being sensitised to this problem at seven secondary schools in Lima. And finally, investments by the Peruvian government in the JJR project in 2011 enabled our intervention to be extended to eight further districts (Lima and province).

Testimonial

El Agustino, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Lima, is also the most well known for its violence, mainly involving gangs. José, now eighteen years old grew up in this world. At the age of fifteen, José got caught up with a gang.

- José, Tdh beneficiary in Peru