President signs bill on compulsory treatment for serious juvenile offenders

President Klaus has signed into law a bill which will introduce compulsory treatment orders for serious juvenile offenders. The law will enable the authorities to order compulsory treatment for juvenile offenders of violent crimes such as rape and murder and monitor their development for an indefinite period of time. The law was approved by Parliament under pressure of public opinion following the brutal rape and murder of a teenage girl by her schoolmate. Under the present system juvenile offenders have a clean criminal record and in the event of a sexual deviation the authorities have no way of making them undergo treatment after they have served time in a correctional institution or prison for juveniles.