Ref: 92/2018

The Palestinian Center for Human rights (PCHR) is gravely concerned over the incident of severe beating of a 13-year-old child in ‘Abasan village, east of Khan Younis, by persons at a mosque. PCHR follows up with concern the following consequences of the incident and subjecting the child along with his father to arresting and investigation after an interview conducted with the child’s father at Palestine TV. PCHR calls upon the Attorney General in Gaza to investigate the severe beating incident of the child at the mosque and to comply with the Child Protection Standards in Palestinian Laws, in particular the Palestinian Child Law of 2004.

According to PCHR’s follow-up, on Monday afternoon, 20 August 2018, a group of young men severely beat a child identified as A. M. ‘A. (13). They locked him in a room at Isma’il Abu Shanab Mosque in ‘Abasan al-Kabirah village, and fixed him on a pillar at the mosque for many hours. After that, they beat him with an electric wire and attacked him by feet throughout his body. One of the assaulters claimed that they found him in the mosque’s bathroom trying to assault an 8-year-old child from his relatives.

The incident sparked a wave of denunciation on social mediaوon social media e.uring ahild Ag incident of the child in the mosque and to  and some photos that show the beating signs were published after broadcasting a report about the child mentioned above on Palestine TV. The report included interviews with the child and his parents, in which they talked about the assault incident and accused Hamas movement of being behind that.  As a result, the police arrested the child and his father and placed the child in al- Rabee’ Social Welfare Institution in Gaza.

      In light of this, In light of this,

1. PCHR calls upon the Attorney General in Gaza to investigate the incident of severe beating of the child Abu ‘Anza and to hold the perpetrators accountable.
2. PCHR affirms that there must be special treatment for children, as Article 69.1 of the Palestinian Child Law of 2004 states that ” Every child who was charged has the right to receive a treatment commensurate with his age, protects his honor and dignity and facilitate his re-integration to play a constructive role in society.”
3. PCHR stresses that children should not be detained pending investigation if there is no need to do so, as Article 69-3 of the Palestinian Child Law states that: “Priority shall be given to preventive and educational means and avoid, to the extent possible, resorting to preventive detention and deprivation of liberty.”
4. PCHR believes that there is no justification for assault and violence for whatever reasons and no one has the right to take the law into his own hands. PCHR also believes that the case should have been referred to the competent authorities to take necessary legal action for the child.