SEVEN ALLEGED CHILD OFFENDERS APPEAR IN COURT
Seven alleged child offenders made their first appearance at the Children’s Court, sitting in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court. The case stems from an incident that occurred in Yeoville on 10 May 2025, where a 14-year-old complainant was allegedly assaulted by the group following an altercation.
The Magistrate ordered that the matter be postponed to 01 July 2025, to allow for the allocation of funds to facilitate criminal capacity assessments by psychologists, which form part of the Preliminary Inquiry (PLI) process under the Child Justice Act.
The purpose of the assessments is to determine whether the children can distinguish between right and wrong, a key requirement in terms of section 11 of the Act to establish criminal responsibility for children who are 10 years or older but under the age of 14 years.
The NPA is committed to upholding the rule of law while ensuring that matters involving child offenders are handled with the necessary care by the Child Justice Act.
