Cops investigated two one-year-old infants over allegations of ASSAULT
TWO one-year-old infants have been investigated by police over allegations of assault, crime figures reveal.
One was supposed to have committed “violence against the person” in Norfolk.
The other was accused of causing injury by hitting a child in Cleveland, the statistics show.
They were among 8,277 offences recorded in the year to this April in which the main suspect was under ten, the age of criminal responsibility.
The figure — 1,728 up on the year before — included burglaries, assaults, race attacks, knife crimes, drug offences, stalking and sex crimes.
Suffolk Police logged two violence cases against kids aged two and Leicestershire Police had three cases pinned on the tots — an assault, a criminal damage and a harassment.
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Devon and Cornwall recorded children aged four as prime suspects in violent assault and vandalism. A five-year-old was said to be linked to an incident of illegal drug possession.
Lincs Police reported a five-year-old for “flashing”. In all, 151 cases were logged of a youngster under ten having a weapon, 247 for racist incidents and 45 for attacks on police.
There were also 28 arson attacks and 34 death threat allegations.
David Spencer, Research Director at the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: “It is ludicrous for police time to be spent investigating ‘crimes’ committed by toddlers when so many crimes decimate people’s lives.
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“It is time for police forces to focus on offences that matter rather than dealing with misbehaving kids.”
A government spokesman said crimes are recorded when reported even when the alleged perpetrator is under ten. However, he said, the kids cannot be arrested or charged.