Moreover, the State party should clarify, as a matter of urgency, the mandate of the National Intelligence Service within the framework of the ongoing reform of the judiciary in order to prevent any use of the Service as a means of political repression and ensure that its officials do not engage in criminal investigation. (11) The Committee is alarmed at reports of large-scale sexual violence against women and children by State officials and members of armed groups, as well as at the systematic use of rape as a weapon of war, which constitutes a crime against humanity. In this regard, according to information received, a large number of victims of rapes were identified between October 2005 and August 2006. Moreover, the Committee is deeply concerned at the apparent impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of such acts. The Committee is also concerned at the extrajudicial or amicable settlement of rape cases, including by the administrative authorities, when emphasis is placed on practices such as marriage between rapist and victim (arts. 2, 4, 12 and 14). The State party should take vigorous measures to eliminate the impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of acts of torture and ill-treatment, whether they are State officials or non-State actors; conduct timely, impartial and exhaustive inquiries; try the perpetrators of such acts and, if they are found guilty, sentence them to punishment commensurate with the gravity of the acts committed; and provide adequate compensation to the victims. Moreover, the State party should guarantee that victims have access to the means required for their fullest possible rehabilitation. The State party should take the necessary measures to include in its Criminal Code a provision criminalizing acts of violence, including domestic violence and sexual violence, and especially rape, in accordance with article 4 of the Convention. (12) The Committee is concerned at the judiciary’s de facto dependence on the executive, which poses a major obstacle to the immediate institution of an impartial inquiry when there are substantial grounds for believing that an act of torture has been committed in any territory under its jurisdiction. In this regard, the Committee is concerned at the decision of the Attorney-General overruling the Supreme Court’s decision to release on bail the seven persons, including the former transitional President, Mr. Domitien Ndayizeye, who were being held for attempting a coup.2 The Committee is also concerned at reports that several of the detainees have been tortured. Lastly, the Committee is concerned at the fact that the Attorney-General is able, in certain circumstances, to influence judicial decisions (arts. 2 and 12). The State party should adopt effective measures to guarantee the independence of the judiciary in accordance with the relevant international norms. The State party should also conduct an immediate and impartial inquiry pursuant to reports that several of the persons detained for allegedly attempting a coup were subjected to torture. The State party should also fulfil its obligation to respect the decisions of the Supreme Court. (13) The Committee takes note of the delegation’s announcement that the State party intends to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 13 to 15 years. The Committee is nevertheless concerned at the absence of a juvenile justice system, and at the fact that children are often subject to the same procedures as adults. In this regard, the Committee notes with concern that a child accused of a criminal offence is obliged to wait for a very long time before being tried and that the length of pretrial detention for children often exceeds the length of the maximum prison terms that they could receive if found guilty (art. 2). The State party should take the necessary measures to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility in order to bring it into line with the generally accepted international norms on the subject. The State party should also guarantee the proper functioning of a juvenile justice system by treating minors in a manner appropriate to their age, in conformity with the United Nations Standard 2 Report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council on the United Nations Operation in Burundi (UNOB), S/2006/842, paras. 15-18, 25 October 2006. 10