Bureau Recommends: Thousands of under-16s held in police cells overnight
An investigation by the Howard League for Penal Reform, reported by Channel 4 News, reveals that thousands of children under the age of 16 are being held in police cells overnight.
According to figures gained through a series of Freedom of Information requests, at least 53,000 children were held overnight in police cells in 2008 – 2009. This number includes 13,000 children between the ages of nine and 13.
The age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is ten, yet the figures reveal that nine of the children detained in that period were younger than ten years old.
Almost 11,500 were children under the age of 14, the European average age of criminal responsibility.
Director of the Howard League, Frances Cook said: “I was horrified to discover how prevalent the practice is across the country. A police cell is not an appropriate place for children. This is an evil practice that must stop.”
