Managing the police detention centre in Thimphu is becoming a challenge against the increasing number of children detainees. To address this, the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) in collaboration with Save the Children inaugurated a pre-trial centre for children under 18 years of age yesterday in Thimphu.
With a clean and homely atmosphere, the centre will house about 35 detainees and is expected to give children the required privacy, and also contribute towards fulfilling the legal mandates of looking into the “best interest of the child”.
The Chief of Police said children should feel safe and comfortable while they are under the police care.
“These are child friendly detention centres,” said Colonel Chimi Dorji, the Chief of Police. “It doesn’t even look like detention centres. So, our main aim and objective is whenever a child is in police custody, we don’t want them to be mentally tormented.”
Save the Children financially supported the construction of the centre located in the premises of the RBP Headquarters.
“Thimphu being the largest urban centre in Bhutan, I think there are many cases of children coming into conflict with the law,” said Man Bdr. Ghaley, the Director of Save the Children.
“So, that is why we feel that this is very much needed.”
Today, there are eight children under the Thimphu police custody.
