Children under 10 suspected of rape as figures reveal more tan 160 alleged child criminals in Notts

Fourteen children under the age of ten were suspected of committing rape in 2018 and 2019, figures have revealed.
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Figures obtained from Nottinghamshire Police under the freedom of information act demonstrate the extent of crimes those under the age of 10 were suspected of committing in the county.

In other crimes, 15 children were accused of sexual activity involving a child under 13, and four were accused of threats to kill.

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Shockingly, 13 crimes were reported to have been committed by children under the age of five.

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Stock image posed by model

In total, 167 crimes were suspected of being committed by children under ten between 2018 and 2019.

Some 26 of the cases were assault without injury, and 11 were accused of shoplifting.

Other crimes included arson not endangering life, criminal damage, possession of articles with a blade or point, and incest or familial sexual offences.

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Ten years old is the age of criminal responsibility in the UK – children under ten cannot be prosecuted, as they are considered to be too young to be held criminally responsible.

In 2015, 31 crimes were reported which dropped to 13 the next year. In 2017 the figure again rose to 19 reports.

In 2018, 95 crimes were reported, with the number dropping to 72 in 2019.

Nottinghamshire Police say they work closely alongside programmes that support children, and help to prevent re-offending.

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Detective Superintendent Andrew Gowan, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Nottinghamshire Police is committed to protecting the safety of children in our county.

“We recently recruited Schools Early Intervention Officers who play a key role in delivering educational programmes in our schools.

“We also have educated pupils and their parents at schools across the county around safe internet use and the ways in which you can protect yourself online.

“On an occasion where a child is connected to an incident, we will work closely with social care programmes that help to prevent reoffending through support and education.”