Primary school aged kids in violent assaults report

A local police report has revealed primary school age children have been involved in violence towards one another.

One assault in the region this year saw a 12-year-old seriously injuring a nine-year-old.

The revelations were made to councillors in the latest local quarterly police report.

Chief Superintendent Phil Davison presented the April 1 to June 30 review to Perth and Kinross Council’s housing and communities committee on September 8.

A large number of assaults were recorded between young people, particularly during the early part of the quarter - as high as 41 per cent.

CS Davison said:“Whilst boys aged 16-25 are the most common perpetrators and victims, children between primary seven and S2 have been involved in violence towards one another. Our commitment to reducing this violence and better engagement with young people continues under Operation Stung and towards the end of the quarter we have seen a reduction in violence between young people.”

Most assaults were committed by a male - 72 per cent - most commonly by children aged under 16 and men aged 25 to 44.

Between April 1 and June 30 there were 19 serious assaults in Perth and Kinross. Only one remains undetected. The report said a suspect was identified but there was insufficient corroborative evidence.

Around two-thirds of the serious assaults recorded in this quarter happened in Perth - three were between prisoners at HMP Perth.

One serious assault involved young children.

CS Davison said:“In all cases the perpetrator was known to the victim and in five of the recorded serious assaults, young people were responsible for assaulting peers, in the most extreme case a 12-year-old inflicting a serious injury upon a nine-year-old.”

There has been an increase in the number of common assaults - rising by 19 per cent compared to the same period last year and by 17.2 per cent in relation to the five-year average.