CAT/C/BEN/CO/3 so-called child “witches”, early and forced marriages, child trafficking and female genital mutilation, which is still practised in some parts of the country despite the adoption of Act No. 2003-03 on the elimination of female genital mutilation (arts. 1 and 16). 33. The State party should: (a) Ensure that the Criminal Code and the Children’s Code are effectively applied, conduct impartial and thorough investigations into acts of torture and illtreatment against children and ensure that those responsible, including State agents who condone or tolerate such acts, are prosecuted and, if convicted, punished with appropriate penalties; (b) Establish mechanisms in schools and in police and gendarmerie stations for reporting all forms of violence against children in order to ensure that such violence is investigated and prosecuted; (c) Take the steps necessary for the effective implementation of the Children’s Code, including the rehabilitation of victims of torture, ill-treatment, negligence and other forms of abuse; (d) Ensure a strict separation between juveniles and adults in detention facilities and the application of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules); (e) Improve conditions of detention for minors, specifically hygiene and sanitation in detention facilities, the quality, quantity and timeliness of food rations, and the availability of educational activities conducive to their future reintegration; (f) Conduct awareness-raising campaigns about children’s rights, infanticide and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and witchcraft accusations, including in the remote areas where such practices persist; (g) children. Develop programmes to combat the trafficking and forced labour of Suppression of protests 34. The Committee is concerned about information brought to its attention according to which, on 1 May 2019, after the results of the parliamentary elections were announced, law enforcement officers and members of the armed forces suppressed protests in Cotonou by employing excessive use of force, including live ammunition, against hundreds of demonstrators surrounding the residence of the former President to show their support, which allegedly resulted in the death of at least two people (arts. 2, 12 and 16). 35. The Committee encourages the State party to carry out impartial and thorough investigations into all allegations of excessive use of force, without delay and to develop clear guidelines on the use of force and weapons, incorporating the principles of lawfulness, necessity and proportionality and the precautionary principle. It also encourages the State party to bring laws and regulations governing the use of force into line with international standards, in particular the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials adopted by the United Nations in 1990. Violence against women and girls 36. The Committee is concerned about the alarmingly high rate of violence against women in places of deprivation of liberty, schools, and private settings, notwithstanding the adoption of Act No. 2011-26 of 9 January 2012 on the prevention and punishment of violence against women. The Committee regrets the small number of prosecutions brought against the perpetrators of such acts and the apparent failure to observe due diligence obligations. It also regrets the lack of statistical data available on complaints received and convictions and criminal penalties handed down in relation to acts of violence (arts. 2 and 16). 37. 8 The State party should: GE.19-08899