JUVENILE JURISDICTION

When the perpetrator of a crime is a person between 14 and 18 years of age, the criminal procedure to be followed for the investigation and prosecution of the facts is different, and is regulated in the Organic Law 5/2000 on Criminal Responsibility of Minors. This is a more flexible procedure, which seeks to protect the minor and whose main purpose is the minor’s re-education and training to avoid committing crimes in the future.

The aspects that distinguish juvenile criminal proceedings from criminal proceedings applicable to adults are the following:

1. In juvenile proceedings, it is the Public Prosecutor’s Office and not the Court of Instruction that is in charge of the investigation of the facts.
2. The prosecution of the facts corresponds to the Juvenile Judge.
3. If the minor is found responsible for an offense, instead of a penalty, a measure is imposed, which may range from placement in a juvenile detention center to a simple reprimand. The measure to be imposed varies according to the age of the minor.