Children fleeing oppressive conditions at probation and child care facilities

Lack of security within premises, inadequate training for staff handling adolescents from troubled backgrounds, and financial restraints are driving young inmates away from homes for children.

Eight girls, between the ages of 13 and 17, from a children's home in Meetiyagoda, Galle, left the facility last week. Some of them were found at a nearby reserve, while others reported to the nearest police station two days later, stating that they ran away following an argument with the warden.

Three girls, aged 13, 14, and 16, who escaped a girl's home in Panadura, Walana area, were found a day later. Panadura South police began investigations after the warden complained. According to the police, the possession of a mobile phone had resulted in a heated argument with the warden.

Police this week sought assistance to trace two 15-year-old boys who went missing from the Ambanwatte boys' home in

Mirigama. A photograph of one boy was released. Police said both were in school uniforms at the time.

"The Probation Department and child care authorities should ensure the safety of children at both state-run and voluntary children's homes. The inspections should be frequent, and the causes should be investigated. The premises should be well secured, and security officers should be deployed if necessary," police spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said.

Children who flee are at risk of being exposed to illegal activities and becoming victims of trafficking, he said.

National Child Protection Authority Chairman Udayakumara Amarasinghe said about 10,000 children are housed in 350 registered child development centres across the country, a majority run by voluntary and religious organisations.

“A majority of the children are referred from courts, and these homes function as care and protection centres. Therefore, it is essential for staff in both state and nonstate children's homes to undergo frequent training on adolescent psychology and the handling of teenagers from troubled households," he said.

Mr. Amarasinghe said provincial probation departments need to be strengthened, while minimum standards should be implemented strictly. The support centres also lack funds and facilities.

"Lack of funds can lead to fewer meals and other facilities. This can trigger tension between the heads of the centres and teenage inmates," he said.

The Probations and Child Care Services Department a few months ago came under heavy criticism at the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) for not using the UNCRC data system provided to the department in 2018 at a cost of Rs. 2.3 million to submit timely reports to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The COPA also instructed the department to identify problems related to children at all levels and come up with a solution.

The Auditor General's report, based on last year's annual report of the Probation Department, highlighted that, despite allocating Rs 3.2 million to appoint 1,340 operational committees in divisional secretariat divisions to promote a child-friendly environment, only 405 such committees have been appointed. The report also said that the legal officer post in the department has been vacant since 2014.

Women, Child Affairs, and Social Empowerment Ministry secretary Yamuna Perera, told the Sunday Times, that the Probations Department had been instructed to investigate individual cases.

"We are collecting data on children who have escaped and who have attempted escape. Once it is finalised, investigations will be done at provincial levels," she said.

We are collecting data on children who have escaped and who have attempted escape. Once it is finalised, investigations will be done at provincial levels