The research focuses on the criminal proceedings for juvenile offenders, which was amended at the same time with the proceedings for adults with specific principles of reform. The rules for juvenile criminal process, set forth by the d.P.R. 22nd September 1988, No. 448, have been issued after a long and hard evolution about the need to create a different approach for the child who is charged with a crime.
The Constitutional Court has exercised a relevant role by several decisions aimed at respecting the protection set for children by Article No. 31 Const. also during the criminal process. The Italian Legislator has followed this instruction by considering the juvenile offender as a rights holder and not more as an object of the process; secondly, by rules to be applied according to the juvenile personality and by setting specific measures aiming at allowing a fast conclusion of the criminal process, with the intention to protect the needs of a person in fieri such as the juvenile offender.
