Daily Mail
July 16, 2014
More than 11,000 children aged just 10 and 11 have avoided prosecution for violent crimes.
The Ministry of Justice says 9,099 boys and 2,224 girls were warned, reprimanded or cautioned in the last seven years, but were not taken to court.
Last night, justice campaigners said it was staggering so many kids were being let off without facing prosecution.
Mother Theresa Cave, who campaigns against knife crime in schools, said: ‘These children should not be allowed to walk away with a slap on the wrist.’
Some 120 children – barely over the age of criminal responsibility – have been warned for sex attacks, including nine rapes.
Another 1,160 boys and 137 girls have escaped prosecution for malicious wounding, 219 for arson and 51 for drugs offences.
Seven boys and girls were warned for conspiracy to murder, 11 boys for gun offences and three more for possession of obscene material.
Meanwhile, 30 youngsters have been warned for fraud and five for forgery.
They are all indictable offences which would carry lengthy prison sentences if committed by adults.
Mrs Cave, who has campaigned for victims of violent crime since her 17-year-old son Chris was stabbed to death in Cleveland in 2003, said young children were often led into serious crime by peer pressure.