Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Alyallen]

Under 10s suspected of nearly 3,000 crimes in Britain

LONDON (AFP) - Children under the age of 10 who are too young to be prosecuted were the chief suspects in nearly 3,000 crimes committed in England and Wales last year, official figures showed Sunday.

Of the 2,840 crimes, nearly half -- around 1,300 -- related to criminal damage or arson, the figures from three-quarters of England and Wales's police forces released under freedom of information laws to BBC radio said.

In England and Wales, children aged under 10 cannot be charged with any offence, although the incidents are recorded by police.

A total of 5.5 million crimes by people of all ages were reported to police in the same period, Home Office figures showed.

Ian Johnston, head of the British Transport Police and a representative of the Association of Chief Police Officers', said that many of the offences were "minor acts of damage".

Lawrence Lee, a lawyer for one of two 10-year-olds convicted of murdering two-year-old James Bulger in a 1993 crime which sent shockwaves across Britain, said that lowering the age of criminal responsibility could be wise.

"As a defence lawyer I would say no, it wouldn't be a good thing," he told BBC online.

"But if I wear my citizen's hat, I would say if you go along to any estate and see the age of kids marauding around like a pack of wolves, you'd see that reducing the age of criminal responsibility to eight or nine would be vital."

But Bob Reitemeier of charity the Children's Society told BBC television that his organisation wanted the age of responsibility raised to 14.

"If you look at how children are treated by government and legislation you have to be 18 to be able to vote, 16 to have sex and yet 10 to be held accountable for committing a crime," he said.

"It's not a very logical system."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070902/wl_uk_afp/britaincrimepolicechildren

[VanIslander]

out of 5.5 million crimes?

such a tiny fraction is just a statistical inevitability

like the number of deaths by choking on breakfast cereal

look at a large enough group and such results surface

[JMO]

Yea got to say that 3000 crimes is a non issue when it is out of 5.5 million crimes.

[Dome Vans]

Yep got say that this is a fairly insignificant figure. B

But I think it is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the British society which is decaying badly. If you had a percentage of crimes done committed by under 16 year olds then this figure would be very significant.

The collapse of English society is freefalling now. This is why the sensible people emigrate. This year saw a record leap in the number of English people emigrating abroad. Can only really see a significant rise next year as well.

[dogbert]

Sure, it's insignificant unless your last name happens to be Bulger.

Perverse group, those limeys.

[JMO]