JEDDAH — Ten male juvenile delinquents are still being kept at the Jeddah social observatory home even though they completed serving their prison terms more than two years ago, Al-Watan newspaper reported Thursday. Judge Sheikh Naser Al-Yumni blamed government red tape and slow procedures for the delays in getting them released. He said his duty was only to rule on the crimes they have committed but not to follow up their release. The judge said because of the slow procedures, a number of juvenile delinquents were being detained in the home without trial. He said there are 170 juvenile delinquents in the home aged 14 to 17, of whom about 15 percent are Saudi. "Most of their crimes include theft, street fighting and common misdemeanors," he said. The judge said sexual harassment is commonplace in the home and that some of the juveniles escaped because of a lack of strict supervision. — SG
