Lebanon's legal response to child abuse: Protection and rehabilitation

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

In the wake of the recent assault case involving minors, Lebanon grapples with the gravity of offenses ranging from enticement to harassment and rape. 

The psychological aftermath of these crimes weighs heavily on minors even if they participate in the crime.

In Lebanon, where values seem increasingly disregarded, taboos become fodder for bullying, as observed in the exploitation tactics used by the perpetrator of the assault, now trending online. 

Names and images of the minors involved in the case have circulated widely on social media platforms, contrasting starkly with the need for love and security that these young individuals truly require, according to social workers.

Responding swiftly to the broader societal context of danger, Judge Joelle Abou Haidar in Mount Lebanon took proactive steps by convening a hearing to listen to three of the detained minors involved in the assault case. 

However, this session aims not to condemn or judge but to comprehend the suffering of the minors amid this ordeal.

Under Lebanese juvenile law, suspects under the age of majority are not treated as criminals but as individuals vulnerable to societal and psychological pressures that warrant intervention. 

Thus, follow-up sessions are separate from investigative or trial proceedings and rules, whether before the juvenile court in case of a felony or before the criminal court in case of a crime.

Under juvenile law, for detained minors, protection and care are afforded even before and throughout their trial, ensuring a certain level of privacy and sensitivity to their circumstances. 

Meanwhile, for the victims, therapy sessions are imperative, overseen by the juvenile court, with periodic visits from juvenile affairs representatives and constant communication channels established, including a dedicated hotline.

Judge Abou Haidar urged the deletion of social media accounts propagating the assault footage with the "do you want to drink something" phrase, alongside the prohibition of sharing the names and images of the minors involved. 

Additionally, she issued a letter to the Education Ministry to integrate awareness sessions on social media risks into school curricula. 

Harassment against minors is condemned as a crime tantamount to an attack on their dignity. 

Therefore, it falls upon families to courageously report any assaults on their children and upon society to uphold awareness, safeguarding the minimum standards of humanity and ethics.