Boys account for 92% of youth in conflict with the law

Boys accounted for more than nine in 10 of the nearly 15 000 children who entered Namibia's child justice system between 2014 and 2023, according to a new government report.

The findings are contained in the Namibia Child Care and Protection Statistics Report 2014–2023, launched last week by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare.

According to the report, 14 779 children received child justice services between 2014 and 2023. Of these, 13 625 were boys, representing about 92.2% of the total, while 1 154 were girls, accounting for about 7.8%.

"The trend highlights a significant gender disparity in the child justice system," the report states.

The child justice programme is designed to promote restorative justice by focusing on rehabilitation rather than punishment.

It diverts children away from formal criminal proceedings through community-based interventions aimed at encouraging accountability, behavioural change and successful reintegration into society.

The programme includes screening and assessment by social workers, diversion initiatives, pre-sentence reports and inspections of police holding cells to ensure children are not detained alongside adults.

Ups and downs

The decade-long data shows that the number of children entering the programme fluctuated considerably.

In 2014, 1 437 children participated in the programme before the figure rose to 2 049 in 2015 and reached its highest level of 2 139 in 2016.

Thereafter, the numbers declined steadily, falling to 1 607 in 2018 and 1 345 in 2019 before dropping further to 1 031 in 2020. The lowest number was recorded in 2021, when only 672 children entered the child justice programme.

The ministry attributes the broader decline in child protection services during this period to a high attrition rate of social workers from 2019, compounded by the disruption caused by Covid-19 restrictions, which limited access to essential services. As restrictions eased and staffing stabilised, child justice cases increased again, rising to 1 422 in 2022 and 1 493 in 2023.

Although boys remained overwhelmingly represented, the findings indicate a slight increase in the number of girls entering the programme over the last two years of the reporting period.

Regional overview

Regionally, Khomas recorded the highest number of children receiving child justice services over the reporting period, with 2 947 cases, followed by Erongo with 2 241 and Hardap with 2 024. At the opposite end of the scale, Kavango West reported just 85 cases, although the report notes that the region only began recording data in 2018 following its establishment as a separate administrative region. Zambezi also recorded relatively low numbers, with 275 cases, while Omusati registered 488.

The report says regional disparities are evident, with central and southern regions generally recording significantly higher numbers than north-eastern and north-western parts of the country. It recommends closer examination of the factors driving these differences and calls for targeted interventions in regions with higher numbers of children in conflict with the law.

Help at hand

Beyond child justice, the ministry says the programme seeks to address the underlying causes of offending through rehabilitation rather than punishment.

Children accused of offences undergo assessments by social workers, who evaluate their personal circumstances and recommend appropriate interventions to the courts. Many are diverted into life-skills programmes, counselling, community service or other rehabilitative initiatives instead of formal criminal proceedings.

The report states that these measures are intended to reduce reoffending while supporting children's successful reintegration into their families and communities. The ministry says the findings will be used to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and improve child protection services nationwide, while reinforcing a justice system that prioritises the best interests of children.