Gendarmerie Report: 300 children arrested during three years

Algerian Gendarmerie recorded a decline in the number of cases in the intentional murder as well as number of involved compared to the years 2006 and 2007. However, statistics remain alarming because male and female teenagers under 18 year-old are also involved in such crimes.

• A report by the contact cell at the national gendarmerie showed the causes behind teenagers’ crimes are trivial, they even happened after verbal disputes which end by the use of knives in killing.
• Figures of the report, available at Echorouk, revealed that 284 murder cases were addressed in 2008, and 448 people were arrested, including 401 males and 47 females, mostly youngsters between 18 and 28 year-old with 239 involved, compared to 111 murder cases committed by40 year-old elderly. However, what is striking is the involvement of minors in such kind of crimes, 27 involved under 18 year-old were arrested, compared to 23 minors in 2007.
• Minors are also victims of murder cases, according to the same report, intentional murder reached 27 out of 292 victims, including 44 women in 2008.
• The report identified the map of provinces where the largest number of murder cases. Tlemcen province, west of Algeria, is on top of the list, then Setif, east of Algeria, then Medea, Chlef, M’sila and Oran, west of Algeria. However, there were no murder cases in Annaba, east of Algeria, Ain Temouchent, west of Algeria, Tindouf and Nàma, south of Algeria.
• The report linked the spread of intentional murder cases in the Algerian society with the proliferation of drugs, hallucinogenic, theft and revenge.