asked Her Majesty's Government:
For each year from 1998, how many persons aged under 18 years in Northern Ireland were (a) charged with criminal offences, (b) cautioned or (c) convicted; how many of those convicted had committed (1) sexual offences or (2) crimes of violence; and whether there were any other disposals. [HL1976]
The data are not available in the format requested. In relation to the number charged or reported for prosecution, prior to the introduction of the Causeway programme in June 2005, this information was collated only once the police had prosecuted in court. Figures for 1998 to 2005 therefore relate to the number of persons aged 10 to 17 years who were prosecuted in court. After June 2005, this information was recorded once the police recommended prosecution, which was taken forward by the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland and therefore figures for 2006 and 2007 relate to the number of charges.
Table 1 gives the number of persons aged 10 to 17 years who were prosecuted or charged for offences, and the number subsequently convicted for criminal offences, while table 2 provides information on the disposals given to those convicted.
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) weeding policy meant that caution records, for certain offences, after appropriate periods of time were “weeded out” in compliance with data protection and rehabilitation of offenders legislation. Since Bichard (2006), PSNI has stopped weeding. Data are therefore not available for the years 1998 to 2005; in 2006 there were 2,529 cautions and in 2007 there were 1,707 cautions.
A violent crime is defined as one which relates to sexual, violence against the person and robbery offences. Table 3 shows the total number of persons aged 10 to 17 years prosecuted and convicted for violent offences broken down by type of offence, while tables 4 to 7 provide information on disposals given to those convicted for these offences.
Tables 8 and 10 provide information on the number of persons aged 10 to 17 years who were prosecuted and convicted for other non-violent offences broken down by indictable and non-indictable offences, while Tables 9 and 11 provide information on the disposals given to those convicted for these categories.
Data in table 1 cover the calendar years 1998 to 2007 (the latest available year for which charges are available) while data in tables 2 to 11 cover the calendar years 1998 to 2006 (the latest available year for which convictions are available). Data are collated on the principal offence rule, so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
Table 1
Number aged 10-17 years prosecuted/charged and convicted 1998-2007
Number prosecuted/charged1 Number convicted 1998 2,203 1,848 1999 1,881 1,586 2000 2,066 1,721 2001 2,029 1,619 2002 2,031 1,667 2003 2,015 1,588 2004 1,958 1,588 2005 1,793 1,455 2006 1,669 1,273 2007 2,927 -
1. Data for 1998 to 2005 relate to the number of prosecutions. (Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch); Data for 2006 and 2007 relate to the number of charges (Source: PSNI).
2. Conviction data for 2007 are not available.
Table 2
Disposals given to those convicted aged 10 to 17 years 1998-20061
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Immediate custody 259 171 186 147 151 Suspended custody 72 67 55 37 48 Supervision in the Community 542 427 510 473 517 Fine 492 484 464 429 439 Conditional discharge 361 334 383 424 394 Youth Conference Order - - - - Other 122 103 123 109 118 Total 1,848 1,586 1,721 1,619 1,667
Table 2 cont.
2003 2004 2005 2006 Immediate custody 139 152 144 89 Suspended custody 64 85 72 32 Supervision in the Community 490 497 443 370 Fine 391 401 348 243 Conditional discharge 367 330 299 206 Youth Conference Order - 21 72 289 Other 137 102 77 44 Total 1,588 1,588 1,455 1,273
1. Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch.
Table 3
Number aged 10 to 17 years prosecuted and convicted of violent offences (sexual offences, violence against the person offences and robbery offences) 1998-20061
Number prosecuted Number convicted Number prosecuted Number convicted 1998 18 18 189 156 1999 18 15 168 144 2000 10 9 182 160 2001 8 3 179 131 2002 8 6 202 151 2003 11 8 219 164 2004 19 13 250 181 2005 16 9 195 146 2006 13 8 213 152
Table 3 cont.
Number prosecuted Number convicted Number prosecuted Number convicted 1998 13 10 220 184 1999 19 18 205 177 2000 23 20 215 189 2001 18 16 205 150 2002 32 31 242 188 2003 25 21 255 193 2004 21 17 290 211 2005 17 8 228 163 2006 13 11 239 171
1. Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch.
Table 4
Disposals given to those aged 10 to 17 years convicted of sexual offences 1998-20061
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Immediate custody 6 6 2 1 2 Suspended custody 0 0 0 0 0 Supervision in the Community 9 9 6 1 2 Fine 0 0 1 1 0 Conditional discharge 3 0 0 0 2 Youth Conference Order - - - - - Other 0 0 0 0 0 Total 18 15 9 3 6
Table 4 cont.
2003 2004 2005 2006 Immediate custody 0 3 2 2 Suspended custody 0 3 0 1 Supervision in the Community 7 7 5 3 Fine 0 0 0 0 Conditional discharge 1 0 1 2 Youth Conference Order - 0 0 0 Other 0 0 1 0 Total 8 13 9 8
1. Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch.
Table 5
Disposals given to those aged 10 to 17 years convicted of offences of violence against the person 1998-20061
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Immediate custody 15 24 16 11 17 Suspended custody 10 9 7 6 10 Supervision in the Community 57 44 56 44 52 Fine 27 31 36 27 28 Conditional discharge 39 26 34 36 37 Youth Conference Order - - - - - Other 8 10 11 7 7 Total 156 144 160 131 151
Table 5 cont.
2003 2004 2005 2006 Immediate custody 17 19 15 18 Suspended custody 13 21 11 11 Supervision in the Community 55 61 49 40 Fine 35 32 31 26 Conditional discharge 37 38 22 21 Youth Conference Order - 4 12 35 Other 7 6 6 1 Total 164 181 146 152
1. Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch.
Table 6
Disposals given to those aged 10 to 17 years convicted of robbery offences 1998-20061
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Immediate custody 7 8 6 8 10 Suspended custody 1 3 2 0 3 Supervision in the Community 2 6 10 7 16 Fine 0 0 0 1 0 Conditional discharge 0 1 2 0 2 Youth Conference Order - - - - Other 0 0 0 0 0 Total 10 18 20 16 31
Table 6 cont.
2003 2004 2005 2006 Immediate custody 11 7 6 5 Suspended custody 2 1 1 0 Supervision in the Community 7 8 0 4 Fine 0 0 0 0 Conditional discharge 1 1 1 0 Youth Conference Order - 0 0 2 Other 0 0 0 0 Total 21 17 8 11
1. Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch.
Table 7
Disposals given to those aged 10 to 17 years convicted of all violent offences (sexual offences, violence against the person offences and robbery offences) 1998-20061
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Immediate custody 28 38 24 20 29 Suspended custody 11 12 9 6 13 Supervision in the Community 68 59 72 52 70 Fine 27 31 37 29 28 Conditional discharge 42 27 36 36 41 Youth Conference Order - - - - - Other 8 10 11 7 7 Total 184 177 189 150 188
Table 7 cont.
2003 2004 2005 2006 Immediate custody 28 29 23 25 Suspended custody 15 25 12 12 Supervision in the Community 69 76 54 47 Fine 35 32 31 26 Conditional discharge 39 39 24 23 Youth Conference Order - 4 12 37 Other 7 6 7 1 Total 193 211 163 171
1. Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch.
Table 8
Number aged 10 to 17 years prosecuted and convicted for indictable non-violent crimes1 1998-20062
Number prosecuted Number convicted 1998 1,112 927 1999 918 760 2000 1,078 859 2001 1,011 784 2002 942 740 2003 935 714 2004 922 735 2005 896 716 2006 825 614
1. Includes the following indictable offence classes: burglary, theft, fraud and forgery, criminal damage, offences against the state, drugs and other offences.
2. Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch.
Table 9
Disposals given to those convicted aged 10 to 17 years for indictable non-violent crimes1 1998-20062
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Immediate custody 190 112 127 101 86 Suspended custody 47 40 41 26 19 Supervision in the Community 356 278 345 306 316 Fine 112 101 104 98 91 Conditional discharge 203 202 226 234 215 Youth Conference Order - - - - - Other 19 27 16 19 13 Total 927 760 859 784 740
Table 9 cont.
2003 2004 2005 2006 Immediate custody 79 92 90 49 Suspended custody 37 44 42 12 Supervision in the Community 311 320 279 226 Fine 74 74 69 30 Conditional discharge 207 184 174 99 Youth Conference Order - 14 51 194 Other 6 7 11 4 Total 714 735 716 614
1. Includes the following indictable offence classes: burglary, theft, fraud and forgery, criminal damage, offences against the state, drugs and other offences.
2. Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch.
Table 10
Number aged 10 to 17 years prosecuted and convicted for non-indictable crimes 1998-20061
Number prosecuted Number convicted 1998 871 737 1999 758 649 2000 773 673 2001 813 685 2002 847 739 2003 825 681 2004 746 642 2005 669 576 2006 579 488
1. Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch.
Table 11
Disposals given to those convicted aged 10 to 17 years for non-indictable crimes 1998-20061
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Immediate custody 41 21 35 26 36 Suspended custody 14 15 5 5 16 Supervision in the Community 118 90 93 115 131 Fine 353 352 323 302 320 Conditional discharge 116 105 121 154 138 Youth Conference Order - - - - - Other 95 66 96 83 98 Total 737 649 673 685 739
Table 11 cont.
2003 2004 2005 2006 Immediate custody 32 31 31 15 Suspended custody 12 16 18 8 Supervision in the Community 110 101 110 97 Fine 282 295 248 187 Conditional discharge 121 107 101 84 Youth Conference Order - 3 9 58 Other 124 89 59 39 Total 681 642 576 488
1. Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch.