Children deprived of their liberty from the perspective of the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2015, para. 34
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International standards require the establishment of a minimum age of criminal responsibility that reflects when a child has the adequate mental capacity and moral competence to be punished for crimes. In its general comment No. 10 (CRC/C/GC/10), the Committee on the Rights of the Child encouraged States parties to increase their lower minimum age of criminal responsibility to the age of 12 years as the absolute minimum age, and to continue to increase it to a higher age level. Nevertheless, many countries still maintain a minimum age of criminal responsibility well below 12 years.
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Non-negotiated soft law
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Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment