Police Criminal-Enforcement Policy in Juvenile Delinquency Criminal Diversion

Background and objectives:

 Juvenile delinquency is a human-social phenomenon that all human societies have been dealing with it since past centuries. Referring children and juvenile offenders to the formal criminal justice process has the adverse effects on this vulnerable community. Accordingly, the study aimed to investigate the role of the police in redirecting the formal criminal proceedings process of these people.

 Methodology:

In terms of its objectives, the present study is of an applied research type and in terms of methodology it is a documentary study. This research has been conducted using library studies, online resources, articles, research in Persian and other language documents pertaining to the rights of children and adolescents. For data collection, note taking and a review of international documents were employed and the related implementing laws of other countries and Iran were discussed and analyzed.

Findings and results:

 The results show that in addition to developing children, adolescents and their families law, New Zealand allowed the juvenile police to prevent the entry of children and adolescents to the formal criminal proceedings through developing a separate structure for the police, by establishing a warning system and family team meetings. Canada has allowed juvenile police to prevent the entry of children and adolescents to formal criminal proceedings through the youth criminal justice legislation YCJA the creation of new structures in the police, such as the young cop center, institutions, NGOs, the trial coordinator and social workers, and informal and formal warnings to parents. Despite the emphasis on the rules of Article 31 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in Iran to establish a specialized juvenile police, the possession of criminal diversion by police has been neglected