Parents blamed for child ‘criminals’

CHILDREN AS young as three have been detected committing crimes throughout Tayside and Fife in the past two years.

Last year a three-year-old in Dundee was caught vandalising property while another child aged three was found shoplifting in Kirkcaldy.

In the same year an eight-year-old was caught with a knife in a public place in Carnoustie, while a seven-year-old from Perth was detected acting in a racially aggravated manner.

“It’s absolutely outrageous a child as young as eight is

carrying a knife.”

Laurie Matthew

Figures released under Freedom of Information legislation have revealed that a total of 233 children under the age of 10 were detected for crimes ranging from breach of the peace and theft of a bicycle to sexual exposure, racially aggravated conduct and possession of a blade in a public place in 2011/12.

Last night the manager of Dundee-based children’s charity Eighteen and Under hit out at the parents she claims are ultimately responsible for these crimes.

Laurie Matthew said: “It’s absolutely outrageous a child as young as eight is carrying a knife. Not only are they in danger of cutting themselves but they don’t have the wherewithal to know what to do if anything happens.

“You can’t really call a three-yearold shoplifting a criminal. A parent is responsible for that. And an eight-year-old carrying a knife — where’s the parent there too? I don’t agree with criminalising children so young.”

The current age of criminal responsibility in Scotland is 12 but children under that age can still be detected committing crime.

MS MATTHEW said it was beneficial that the police take crime by minors so seriously.

She said: “I think it’s really good the police are finding out these things.

“Wouldn’t it be really bad if an eightyear-old with a knife wasn’t detected and then injured someone?

“I think what’s needed is a bit more education all round with parents, police and agencies. Perhaps one of the problems we have is parents that do care but aren’t responsible enough or have the advantage of education.”

Anne Houston, chief executive of charity Children 1st, agreed the police and their partner agencies need to look into the underlying issues that cause young children to commit crime.

She said: “It is concerning that children under 10 are considered to be responsible for criminal offences in these numbers.

“In Scotland we have a history of looking at ‘the needs not deeds’ as enshrined in the Children’s Hearing System.

“We recognise that children who behave in this way are in need of support to change their behaviour and to address any underlying causes.

“It is important that the causes of a child or young person’s problematic behaviour is explored and that they, and their family, are given appropriate support to address the issue and prevent future offending behaviour.”

The number of children under 10 committing crime across Tayside and Fife actually fell last year from 270 in 2010/11.

In Fife three four-year-olds were caught vandalising in Kirkcaldy and a further two four-year-olds were doing the same in Cowdenbeath and south-west Fife.

One six-year-old in Cowdenbeath was detected for culpable and reckless conduct and another six-year-old in Glenrothes was detected for minor assault, making them the youngest person in the region to be caught for the crime.

In that case the child was reported to have assaulted the complainer by punching, slapping and kicking him and throwing mud and stones at him to his slight injury.

Two seven-year-olds were caught stealing bikes in northeast Fife and south-west Fife.

A total of 26 children were detected for minor assaults throughout Fife while two were caught for racially aggravated conduct. Overall in Fife there was a reduction in crime committed by under 10-year-olds from 143 in 2010/11 to 136 in 2011/12.

Laurie Matthew.