Legal Protection of Child Offenders in the Juvenile Criminal Justice System Perspective in Indonesia

Abstract

Children are regarded as assets of a nation and play a vital role as the successors of a country, being part of the younger generation. However, when a child comes into contact with the criminal justice system as an offender, the state is obligated to enforce special legal provisions for child offenders through law enforcement agencies in Indonesia. To ensure the rehabilitation and protection of these children, comprehensive support, both in terms of institutional and legal frameworks, is required. Therefore, a specialized juvenile court is necessary for children who have committed criminal acts. In Indonesia, several regulations already exist to protect, promote the well-being of, and uphold children's rights. In the effort to protect children, "Law Number 4 of 1979 on Child Welfare" should have served as a reference for policymaking in child protection. Indonesia enacted Law Number 3 of 1997 concerning Child Justice and Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection. The issue that can be analyzed is how the protection of children who have committed criminal acts is carried out within the framework of the juvenile justice system. This research uses a normative legal approach.