Boy prisoner in suicide bid

THE youngest sentenced prisoner in Namibia’s prison system is being kept under medical observation at Hardap Prison after he tried to commit suicide on Thursday.

The 12-year-old prisoner, who received a six-month jail term for housebreaking with intent to steal and theft in the Karasburg Magistrate’s Court on October 19, has been moved to the hospital wing of the Hardap Prison after he was found apparently trying to hang himself on Thursday, the Namibian Prison Service’s Deputy Commissioner Tuhafeni Hangula told The Namibian on Friday. Hangula said yesterday that the boy, who he said is the youngest sentenced prisoner currently in a Namibian jail, remained under observation in the prison’s hospital section.A decision about where he will serve the remainder of his jail term still has to be taken by the prison authorities, Hangula added.The Deputy Commissioner said on Friday that the boy pushed his prison bed upright against a wall and had tied a strip of torn blanket to the top end of the bed.Because it was suspected that he might have planned to try to kill himself, it was decided to move him to the medical ward of the prison.The boy had been moved from Keetmanshoop Prison to Hardap Prison a week before the alleged suicide bid so that he could be observed by social workers, Hangula said.There are two social workers stationed at Hardap Prison, but no psychologists, he said.In fact, the Namibian Prison Service has only one psychologist, stationed in Windhoek, in its ranks, Hangula said.He added that he would have preferred to have two psychologists at each of the country’s prisons.On the warrant of detention that was issued at the Karasburg Magistrate’s Court after the boy’s sentencing, it is stated that he had been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at Elizabeth Nepemba Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre near Rundu.That place of detention is close to 1 400 kilometres from the boy’s home and family.According to Hangula, though, the order that was given by the court was that the boy had to be detained at either Keetmanshoop or at Elizabeth Nepemba Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre.No social worker is stationed at the latter institution either, Hangula said on Friday.He added that he suspected that the Magistrate who sentenced the boy had been under the impression that Elizabeth Nepemba Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre was fully operational – whereas the institution is still under construction, is not yet operating as planned, and is expected to be inaugurated some time next year.Still, with the court having ordered the boy’s imprisonment, the Prison Service had no choice but to place him in a jail, Hangula said.He also questioned whether a direct term of imprisonment, with no option of a fine or suspended sentence, had been the only sentencing option available to the court.Said Hangula: “Was honestly speaking imprisonment the last resort?” Hangula added yesterday that the boy would have to serve half his sentence before he would become eligible to be released on parole.He will reach that milestone in his six-month jail term on January 18.According to the warrant of committal under which the boy was imprisoned, the prison authorities have already set February 18 as the scheduled date of his release, with his sentence having been reduced by a third in terms of the practice through which prisoners’ sentences are cut by a third upon their admission to prison.The boy was 11 years old when he became involved in a burglary at a shop at Karasburg in August.Before he was sentenced, the Magistrate who presided at his trial was informed through a report from a school counsellor that the boy’s father, who is disabled, could not provide proper care to the boy.The school counsellor recommended that he be sent to Elizabeth Nepemba Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre.In another report from the boy’s school, the court was informed that the boy, whose mother had died, was involved in the use of drugs and alcohol, smoking and burglaries, and that he “does not want to bend under authority – he does as he pleases”.Both the school and the school counsellor further reported that the boy had in the past tried to commit suicide – according to the counsellor this is “if he does not get things his way”.Following his sentencing, the boy’s case was sent to the High Court to be reviewed by a Judge, who will have to decide whether to confirm the conviction and sentence or to change these.It was indicated from the High Court on Friday that the case was still with the reviewing Judge and that a decision had not yet been taken on the matter.Hangula said yesterday that the boy, who he said is the youngest sentenced prisoner currently in a Namibian jail, remained under observation in the prison’s hospital section.A decision about where he will serve the remainder of his jail term still has to be taken by the prison authorities, Hangula added.The Deputy Commissioner said on Friday that the boy pushed his prison bed upright against a wall and had tied a strip of torn blanket to the top end of the bed.Because it was suspected that he might have planned to try to kill himself, it was decided to move him to the medical ward of the prison.The boy had been moved from Keetmanshoop Prison to Hardap Prison a week before the alleged suicide bid so that he could be observed by social workers, Hangula said.There are two social workers stationed at Hardap Prison, but no psychologists, he said.In fact, the Namibian Prison Service has only one psychologist, stationed in Windhoek, in its ranks, Hangula said.He added that he would have preferred to have two psychologists at each of the country’s prisons. On the warrant of detention that was issued at the Karasburg Magistrate’s Court after the boy’s sentencing, it is stated that he had been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at Elizabeth Nepemba Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre near Rundu.That place of detention is close to 1 400 kilometres from the boy’s home and family.According to Hangula, though, the order that was given by the court was that the boy had to be detained at either Keetmanshoop or at Elizabeth Nepemba Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre.No social worker is stationed at the latter institution either, Hangula said on Friday.He added that he suspected that the Magistrate who sentenced the boy had been under the impression that Elizabeth Nepemba Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre was fully operational – whereas the institution is still under construction, is not yet operating as planned, and is expected to be inaugurated some time next year.Still, with the court having ordered the boy’s imprisonment, the Prison Service had no choice but to place him in a jail, Hangula said.He also questioned whether a direct term of imprisonment, with no option of a fine or suspended sentence, had been the only sentencing option available to the court.Said Hangula: “Was honestly speaking imprisonment the last resort?” Hangula added yesterday that the boy would have to serve half his sentence before he would become eligible to be released on parole.He will reach that milestone in his six-month jail term on January 18.According to the warrant of committal under which the boy was imprisoned, the prison authorities have already set February 18 as the scheduled date of his release, with his sentence having been reduced by a third in terms of the practice through which prisoners’ sentences are cut by a third upon their admission to prison.The boy was 11 years old when he became involved in a burglary at a shop at Karasburg in August.Before he was sentenced, the Magistrate who presided at his trial was informed through a report from a school counsellor that the boy’s father, who is disabled, could not provide proper care to the boy.The school counsellor recommended that he be sent to Elizabeth Nepemba Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre.In another report from the boy’s school, the court was informed that the boy, whose mother had died, was involved in the use of drugs and alcohol, smoking and burglaries, and that he “does not want to bend under authority – he does as he pleases”.Both the school and the school counsellor further reported that the boy had in the past tried to commit suicide – according to the counsellor this is “if he does not get things his way”.Following his sentencing, the boy’s case was sent to the High Court to be reviewed by a Judge, who will have to decide whether to confirm the conviction and sentence or to change these.It was indicated from the High Court on Friday that the case was still with the reviewing Judge and that a decision had not yet been taken on the matter.