With the changing world, the meaning of crime is also changing. Till a few decades ago, people could not even imagine that children of 12 to 14 years can also commit crime. But today the mindset of children is changing. There have been many cases where small children have been found involved in serious crimes. Let us tell you in this article today that if a child commits a crime, then how much punishment he gets.
Child under 7 years of age
If a child under the age of seven commits a crime, then no charge can be imposed on him under Section 82 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. That is, no matter how serious the crime is, no criminal section can be imposed on the child. Actually, the law believes that children of this age do not have enough understanding to understand the consequences of their actions.
If the age is 7 to 12 years
If a child who is seven years old or between seven and 12 years old has committed a crime, then in such cases the court first understands whether the child had the maturity to understand the consequences of his actions or not. If the child is found to have the maturity to understand the consequences of the crime committed by him, then according to the Juvenile Justice Act, he can be prosecuted under Section 83 of the Indian Penal Code 1860.
If the child is more than 12 years old
In the eyes of Indian law, children above 12 years of age are capable of committing a crime. If a child above 12 years of age has committed a crime, then he can be prosecuted under the JJ Act 2015. In the JJ Act 2015, crimes are divided into 3 categories according to the severity of the crime committed โ petty, serious and heinous crimes. Let us tell you, the severity of punishment for juvenile offenders depends on the category of crime they have committed.
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