Boy, 11, arrested 50 times... but police can't do anything until he's 12

Published 02nd Jan 2010

He is one of the ten most prolific burglars in his area and has been arrested more than 50 times.

Yet police are unable to stop him offending – because he is only 11.

The one-boy crimewave was given an electronic tag and ordered to be confined to his children's home – but when he broke his curfew nine days running, magistrates simply gave up and ordered the tag to be removed.

Staff at the home in South London have repeatedly proved unable to stop him coming and going pretty much as he pleases.

Now police in Croydon are simply waiting for the youngster to turn 12 in February, when it will finally become possible to detain him in secure accommodation.

The boy's identity is protected by the courts, making it illegal to name him.

But concerned officers have spoken out about their anger over his apparently uncontrollable offending.

Sent to a children's home after his alcoholic mother proved incapable of looking after him, he was just nine when he was first arrested, in January 2008, for stealing a bike.

A month later the diminutive hoodie turned ten, meaning he could be prosecuted for his crimes.

But fear of the courts has failed to deter him.

He is reputedly a member of a gang known as Certified Young Thugs, or CYT, but prefers to commit his numerous crimes on his own, without the assistance of any older accomplices.

He has been arrested for a wide variety of offences including assault, robbery, theft, driving without consent, going equipped to steal, handling stolen goods, and breach of bail.

But it is his proficiency at burglary – in which his small stature is an advantage – which has caused most concern.

Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have not always taken further action following his arrests, but he has been convicted on 17 charges and given penalties including fines, conditional discharges and referrals for social services supervision.

His most recent arrest came on Christmas Eve when he was found in woods opening a family's presents he had taken from their home.

Police wearying of his crimes fear his offending will soon involve drugs and firearms.

Officers were amazed when the magistrates' response to his repeated breaking of his curfew was to remove the electronic tag being used to monitor him.

A police source said: 'They thought there was no point having it. This is worse than a joke. Courts are not backing us up.

'It can't be right for his own welfare to be continually released and continually allowed to offend. It's ridiculous. He's currently on bail for four burglaries and two robberies.'

Another officer said: 'We're just waiting until he's 12 so he can be put in secure accommodation. It seems that there's nothing we can do until then to protect the public from him, and protect him from himself.'

A spokesman for the Judicial Communications Office, on behalf of Croydon Youth Court, said: 'A court's powers of sentence in respect of an 11-year-old are limited despite the record of offences that an individual accumulates.

'A Detention and Training Order is not available for an 11-year-old. Such an order is only available for offenders aged 12 to 17.'

Croydon Social Services declined to comment.

The case follows sharp increases in the most worrying types of youth crime. Figures from the Youth Justice Board showed cases of robbery surging by 29 per cent between 2005 and last year – to a shocking 6,669.

There were more than 30 robberies by children aged just ten.

Source: ' Daily Mail '

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