THE POSITION OF ROMA CHILDREN IN COURT PROCEEDINGS

Abstract

In May 2014, a parent of a 17-year-old boy reported the abuse of his son and his 12-year-old grandson. The abuse of the children was carried out by four police officers, members of the special unit "Alpha". They suspected that one of the boys had stolen the purse of a woman, a passer-by. After they intercepted them, they started beating them without any prior warning. (Police abuse Romani youth in Macedonia, 2004)

This is one of the many cases that reach us every day. The stereotype and prejudice that Roma are perpetrators of property crimes is deeply rooted in our society and beyond. Unfortunately, this is only one of the types of discrimination, which is manifested in many spheres and represented in many forms. Marginalization of the Roma is a phenomenon that is passed down from generation to generation and destroys many young lives before they even begin.This paper analyzes the position of Roma children in court proceedings, based on the hypotheses that street children are perpetrators of crimes due to their lack of access to the educational system and that the law enforcement authorities carry out the procedure inappropriately and incompletely when it comes to Roma children.The rights of the child are inviolable and must be respected by all subjects in the procedure. Any violation of them is highly condemnable.