Ÿ model of Children’s Courts in the civil court system or the Victim Friendly Court System could be adopted. Ÿ Magistrates should be adequately capacitated to deal with children who come before them, so that there are no inconsistencies in the way children are treated, tried and sentenced by the court for the same charge and substantially similar circumstances. Ÿ A comprehensive, one-stop piece of legislation with a child justice framework must be developed as a concrete reference point of juvenile justice. There is therefore need for the Child Justice Bill to be enacted into law. Ÿ The government should ensure that the Legal Aid Directorate provides legal assistance to children who are caught up as offenders in times of conflict. Provisions of legal aid services should not be left entirely to civil society legal aid organisations. Although there is no special right to legal representation at the state's expense when children are brought before the courts to answer to criminal charges, the State should consider the peculiarities of times of conflict, the vulnerability of children, and the high risk of children being unfairly treated and tried as adults if they are not provided with legal aid. Ÿ The government must consider compulsory legal aid for unrepresented children in conflict with the law, and this may be incorporated in the Child Justice Bill. Ÿ The police and courts must observe restrictions regarding pre-trial detention in terms of the law. Ÿ Procedures of informing parents and guardians and the Department of Social Welfare upon arrest of a minor must be followed and enforced. This would ensure that children are accorded the rights they are entitled to upon arrest. Ÿ Probation Officer’s reports must be furnished, and timely, in all cases involving children as accused before the criminal court. This legal requirement must be strictly enforced. Ÿ Children should not be placed in Maximum Security prisons, whether for pre- or post-trial detention. When incarcerated, children should not be mixed with adults as this exposes children to further abuses. Separate facilities for children should be reserved as required by the law. Ÿ Until the underlying political and economic issues are resolved, Zimbabwe might continue to face unrest and civil action in the future. The recurrence of unrests remains real. As much as possible, government and citizens should work towards preventing conflict, violent protests and criminal activity that would result in children being caught up in the mayhem. 34 ‘Hear them Cry ’ – An Analysis of State Violence Against Children During the January 2019 Protests