Hundreds of Scots kids accused of sex crimes
Schoolboys charged with rape attacks every week Online porn warning as prosecutors call summit
More than 400 Scottish children were accused of sex crimes last year as experts blamed online pornography for fuelling the rise in assaults.
Schoolboys are being charged with rape every week, we can reveal, with prosecutors, senior politicians and police chiefs set to meet to discuss the issue.
A Sunday Post investigation has found that 407 Scots youngsters were last year reported for a catalogue of sex offences – a record high. That included 48 under- 16s charged with rape or attempted rape.
Experts believe the rise of internet porn, which has given some young people a distorted view of sex and relationships, is to blame for the epidemic.
This week, the Solicitor General Alison Di Rollo will stage a summit, with delegates including Deputy First Minister John Swinney, police and children’s charities, to draft new ways of prosecuting and preventing such crimes involving young people.
A legal source said: “Juvenile sex offenders are not a new phenomenon but they have never been so common as they are today.
“We are struggling with the volume of cases and how to deal with them because children who commit these crimes have often been victims of some form of abuse themselves.
“When an adult commits rape, the criminal justice pathway is clear. When an 11-year-old commits rape, how do we handle that?
“Sadly, these sorts of cases are coming up far more frequently and it’s deeply concerning.”
In 2015- 16, 120 youngsters were charged with rape or attempted rape (48 of them under 16), 113 with sexual assault ( 62 under 16) and 167 with other sexual crimes ( 49 under 16).
Seven 16-17- year-olds were reported for sending sexual messages.
The summit – entitled Children, Young People and Sexual Offending – is to be held in Glasgow on Friday.
Edinburgh- based charity The Reward Foundation, which talks to pupils about the risks of X- rated material, fears young minds are becoming desensitised to sexual violence. Chief executive Mary Sharpe said: “Unless we face up to the reality of what the porn industry is covertly teaching our youngsters, the crime rate will continue to rise.”
The Crown Office said Mrs Di Rollo, the former head of its National Sex Crimes Unit, was “calling for a reduction in the number of cases where young people are subjected to, or engage in, sexual behaviours that require a criminal justice response.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Mr Swinney will set out the importance of teaching young people about consent, dignity and respect and will hear the views of teachers and relevant organisations at the summit.”