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Britain's Youngest Known Crime Suspect – Aged Three
Telegraph(UK) ^ | September 20, 2009

Posted on 09/20/2009 10:10:54 AM PDT by Steelfish

Britain's Youngest Known Crime Suspect – Aged Three

A three-year-old boy has become the youngest known suspect in a British criminal inquiry after he was investigated by police over alleged disorder and vandalism.

By Murray Wardrop 20 Sep 2009

Officers from Strathclyde police visited the toddler’s home this summer after receiving a complaint of damage to household property.

The youngster is one of 10 children aged five and under who have been investigated since May for a variety of alleged crimes, including sexual offences.

The youngest offender in England and Wales was a six-year-old arrested in Bedfordshire on suspicion of robbery in June.

Details of the suspects’ cases were disclosed in documents obtained under freedom of information laws, and have caused concern among crime campaigners, who believe they demonstrate further evidence of Britain’s deepening social problems.

Chris Grayling, the shadow home secretary, said: “This is a clear manifestation of the first signs of offending. “These instances underline the very deep social problems we have in some parts of the country. It is part of the very complex picture we call broken Britain.” None of the children referred to can be prosecuted or held in custody because they are below the age of criminal responsibility.

In England and Wales, the age of criminal responsibility is 10, while in Scotland, where the three-year-old was investigated, the age is eight – the lowest in Europe. Figures disclosed this month show that more than 6,000 offences have been committed in Britain by children under 10 over the past three years.

These include nine-year-olds accused of rape and eight-year-olds believed to have caused grievous bodily harm. Other alleged offences included possession of knives, assaults, theft and burglaries.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Society
KEYWORDS: crimesuspect; youngest

1 posted on 09/20/2009 10:10:55 AM PDT by Steelfish
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To: Steelfish

The socialist UK is a sick, evil joke of a country.

Fast forward to 20 more years under the Enemy Regime holding power in Washington, and USA will not be much power.


2 posted on 09/20/2009 10:14:02 AM PDT by FormerACLUmember (When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.)
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To: Steelfish

The socialist UK is a sick, evil joke of a country.

Fast forward to 20 more years under the Enemy Regime holding power in Washington, and USA will not be much better.


3 posted on 09/20/2009 10:14:25 AM PDT by FormerACLUmember (When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.)
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To: Steelfish
Three year old vandals, six year old thieves — give me a break! It's simply ludicrous to be using the criminal system to address these issues. Perhaps some child-welfare investigations are warranted; but that's it.

Violent crimes by older children is another matter; but, when you lump them in with three year olds having a temper tantrum, you render the statistics useless.

4 posted on 09/20/2009 10:25:57 AM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA

I agree- any kid that tender age has a “destructive” instinct. In an earlier age it would be called “kids having fun” and the kids taught that there are some thinks that just aren’t right. This should be a teaching moment and not one for criminal condemnation.


5 posted on 09/20/2009 10:30:52 AM PDT by Steelfish
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To: Steelfish
“Other alleged offences included possession of knives, ....”

The crime here is the criminalization of possession of a knife. When I was in elementary school, every boy had a knife for playing nimbly-peg, or whittling at recess. I gave my son a pocket knife at age 8 — because I wanted to teach him to use it responsibly, while he was still young enough to listen to me. Most boys (and many girls) in his elementary school carried pocket knives, with absolutely no incidents.

6 posted on 09/20/2009 10:33:53 AM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: FormerACLUmember

Actually it was not until it allowed the third world in and did not force them to mature and be part of that once great society.


7 posted on 09/20/2009 10:38:13 AM PDT by edcoil (If I had 1 cent for every dollar the government saved, Bill Gates and I would be friends.)
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To: Steelfish

The UK is over and done.


8 posted on 09/20/2009 10:46:47 AM PDT by Dallas59
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To: Steelfish

USA has no reason to laugh; remember, we had Baby Face Nelson.


9 posted on 09/20/2009 10:53:08 AM PDT by Bertha Fanation
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To: Steelfish
My visualization of these criminals:


Toddler (pictured with accomplice) guilty of vandalism.


Sexual harassment? Guilty - even if the "victim" looks cooperative!


Grand theft - cookie!

There are terrible parents who doom their kids to a life of crime, and there are bad kids who go wrong regardless of what the parents do, but most of these pre-k complaints are nonsense.

10 posted on 09/20/2009 10:58:54 AM PDT by TurtleUp ("Socialist mandates are not a tax"??? Obama, YOU LIE!)
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To: Bertha Fanation

The baby boomers grew up watching cartoons of Yogi Bear stealing picnic baskets. After they were taught stealing is OK, it’s a wonder that the crime rate wasn’t even higher when boomers reached their teen years and early 20s.


11 posted on 09/20/2009 11:52:18 AM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA

The criminal system is all they have. The state won’t allow families to have any disciplinary control over their own kids, nor will they allow local communities to have any real power in dealing with their own problems. The solution to every issue, big or small, is decided at the top - since the state is the only institution that means anything.


12 posted on 09/20/2009 2:13:36 PM PDT by eclecticEel (The Most High rules in the kingdom of men ... and sets over it the basest of men.)
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To: eclecticEel

Good points — the whole thing is asinine.


13 posted on 09/20/2009 2:31:54 PM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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