Concern over child crime in Dundee

Concern over child crime in Dundee

Children were responsible for more than 2000 crimes in Dundee over the past year—with the most serious offences including rape, sodomy and attempted murder.

Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken said the figures, obtained by The Courier from Tayside Police under the Freedom of Information Act, demonstrate the “impotence” of the Scottish justice system.

Between September 1, 2006, and August 31 this year, there were 2033 detected crimes in Dundee where the accused was under the age of 16. Children under the age of eight were responsible for 34 of these crimes.

A fifth of the crimes—434—involved vandalism while 44 involved fire-raising. Even more chilling are the statistics that show children under the age of 16 have been responsible for four serious assaults, eight robberies and assaults with intent to rob, two abductions and one attempted murder.

There were also 19 sexual crimes carried out by children including eight indecent assaults, two rapes, three incidents of lewd and libidinous practices, one case of sodomy and one case of indecent exposure.

Figures released earlier this year revealed there are at least 58 youths who are classed as persistent offenders in Dundee because they have committed more than five crimes in a six-month period.

Shocking level of child crime across Dundee (The Courier, 19 October 2007)