Minister of Justice Counselor Nasser Al-Sumait issued the figures in a statement to the Kuwait News Agency on September 5, 2026. The justice ministry data showed juvenile crimes declining 48 percent in the first six months of the year from the 1,523 cases recorded in the comparable period of 2025. The drop continues a trend from the first half of 2024, when 1,665 cases were logged, for a cumulative 52 percent reduction across the two intervals. Al-Sumait tied the results to a series of government actions focused on deterrence through updated legislation and prevention programs.
Traffic-related cases accounted for much of the overall change, falling 63 percent from 1,048 in the first half of 2025 to 383 this year according to the minister’s breakdown. Assault cases decreased by 32 percent over the same timeframe. The ministry’s statistics placed these two categories at the forefront of matters handled by the Juvenile Prosecution during the period. The minister’s office has released parallel data on other crime types throughout the summer months.
Al-Sumait said the reductions occurred alongside legislative steps that strengthened penalties for key behaviors affecting juveniles and the public. Those steps encompassed the new Traffic Law along with elevated sanctions for serious violations, manslaughter and accidental injury. The government also passed a fresh statute on narcotics and psychotropic substances while criminalizing the public carry of bladed weapons without cause and raising penalties when such items are used to threaten or harm others. The justice minister indicated that monitoring of these legal adjustments would continue.
In statements issued during August 2026 the same minister reported that theft cases registered before the Public Prosecution fell 43.4 percent from 781 to 442 in the first half of the year. The justice ministry’s compiled figures showed violent crimes declining 53.2 percent from 607 cases to 284 while kidnapping matters dropped 45.5 percent from 99 to 54. Crimes against honor and reputation decreased 28 percent from 168 to 121 according to the same set of announcements. These separate releases drew from the identical statistical framework used for the juvenile data.
The Ministry of Justice has maintained ongoing tracking of crime indicators and their connection to legislative updates aimed at reinforcing safeguards for society, individuals and assets. Official ministry records for June 2026 listed 106 juvenile misdemeanors among cases presented to prosecution offices that month. The half-year aggregates align with the monthly patterns captured in the ministry’s statistical bulletins. Authorities have described the data collection as part of a broader process of penal system refinement.
Al-Sumait has noted that security efforts, awareness campaigns and legal reforms operate together to limit juvenile exposure to criminal activity. The justice ministry continues to examine how specific amendments influence offense rates across multiple categories. Further statistical updates are expected as authorities compile full-year information for 2026.
