Criminal cases involving juveniles have increased 72% since 2019
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Justice Minister Elisabeth Margue has responded to a parliamentary enquiry by MP Marc Goergen on juvenile crime statistics and the need for a separate youth criminal law in Luxembourg.
Luxembourg does not currently have a specific penal code for adolescents. Instead, there is a Youth Protection Act of 10 August 1992, which covers all minors in difficult social situations.
The Youth Court may order various protective measures if the child:
- Doesn't attend school,
- Became involved in criminal activity,
- Lives in an environment where his physical or moral development is threatened.
Thus, the juvenile offender in Luxembourg is regarded as an object of social protection rather than a person subject to classical criminal prosecution.
Because the juvenile system brings together both delinquents and juveniles in dangerous social environments, accurate statistics on youth crime cannot be identified.
However, data from the Luxembourg and Dikirch prosecutor's offices show that the total number of cases involving minors has increased by 72 per cent in the last four years:
- 2,617 cases were reported in 2019,
- In 2023, there are already 4,512 cases.
The majority of these cases relate specifically to offences committed by juveniles, indicating an increase in youth crime.
As part of the modernisation of legislation, the Government is drafting three new bills:
- Project 7991 - Establishes a separate youth criminal code.
- Project 7992 - strengthens protections for juvenile victims and witnesses of crime.
- Project 7994 - creates an updated juvenile protection system.
Minister Marg stressed that the reform will clearly separate juvenile offences from social care cases, making the statistics more accurate and transparent.
Luxembourg's juvenile system is strongly oriented towards social protection, but the authorities recognise the need for a separate youth criminal code. The introduction of new laws will help combat juvenile crime more effectively and create clear statistics on juvenile offences.
