Taiwan to budget NT$7.6 billion for juvenile delinquency prevention

Taipei, Feb. 20 (CNA) Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Thursday said the government will spend NT$7.6 billion (US$232 million) over the next four years on juvenile delinquency prevention, in view of the rise of crimes committed by underaged youths.

Cho made the statement in response to a report delivered by the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) in a weekly Cabinet meeting, according to Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝).

The MOI report indicated Taiwan has seen a gradual increase in the number of minors convicted of crimes over the past decade.

Most of the crimes committed by those under the statutory age of majority are by youths between the ages of 15 and 18, with offenses relating to fraud and scams being the most prevalent, according to the MOI.

In the hope of preventing at-risk youth from committing crimes due to peer pressure, financial and family issues, the MOI said it has rewritten prevention protocols to involve different government agencies and NGOs to establish a three-level fit for purpose system.

Cho noted that those between 15 and 18 are more likely to be recruited by criminal organizations when they do not continue their education, according to Lee.

As such, the premier implored all government agencies involved with responding to juvenile delinquency to help construct assistance and consultation protocols and save at-risk youth from going down the wrong path.

Cho said the government will earmark NT$7.6 billion from 2025 to 2028 to fund programs that respond to and seek to prevent at-risk youths from juvenile delinquency.

During the Cabinet meeting, Cho also instructed members of the Executive Yuan responsible for youth and child welfare to develop policies that will help prevent juvenile delinquency through better consultation and support programs.