EU: Experts highlight the need to address inequality and expand alternatives to child pre-trial detention in criminal proceedings
On 27 October 2025, the International Commission of Jurists held a webinar for prosecutors and law enforcement personnel, focusing on combating systemic discrimination and expanding alternatives to pre-trial detention for children in criminal justice systems.
The event brought together experts and practitioners to discuss how inequality is embedded within existing systems and how a child-centred, rights-based approach can drive meaningful reform. Participants highlighted that children in conflict with the law are often treated as individual offenders rather than as young people affected by broader social and economic inequalities such as poverty, exclusion, and limited access to education.
