Article 177 — Special Case.

(1) Where a young criminal's physical or mental development is considered to be that of a young person below the age of fifteen or did not commit a serious crime and, according to expert opinion, still seems amenable to curative, educational or corrective measures provided in Section I of this Chapter in respect to young criminals, the Court may by stating its reasons therefor, instead of mitigating the ordinary penalty in accordance with the preceding provision, order one of the aforesaid measures or penalties, in particular his dispatch to a curative or corrective institution. (2) The curative, educational or corrective measure may under no circumstances be extended beyond legal majority (Art. 163). The Court may, before the end of the period, review its order with a view to deciding what length of the period spent in a corrective institution is to be considered as part of the penalty where it deems it necessary, in particular where it is appropriate to order detention in a penitentiary establishment (Art. 168(2)) upon release from the corrective institution.