Editorial: Arrest of 13-year-old boy during rioting in Londonderry shows that police need option to arrest teenagers

Recent disorder involving children in Londonderry is a reminder of the folly of raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility, as proposed by the Alliance Party.

The arrest of a 13 year old boy by police this week highlights the complex situations which face police officers – and too often involve children. The ability of the PSNI to arrest a young teenager is vital, as it allows authorities to intervene.

As the justice minister herself has said, children under 14 could no longer be arrested, prosecuted or have their DNA taken by police except in extreme cases under her plans.

Taking that option away is madness, not just for the ability of police to control the streets – but also for the welfare of the child. The current legal threshold is 10. Child offenders are rarely prosecuted. However, it allows authorities to take action appropriate to the age of the alleged perpetrator.

They are often placed in diversionary schemes, and dealt with via the Youth Justice Agency. There is a broad political consensus that this is the right course of action in most cases, particularly around the anti-social behaviour plaguing some of our towns and cities.

Upping the age at which police can intervene to 14 – as proposed by Alliance – takes no account of the reality facing police. There would be exemptions for rare cases involving murder or rape under the proposals, but when it comes to anti-social behaviour, officers’ hands would be tied.

As UUP leader Jon Burrows points out, it would remove the ability to impose bail conditions to prevent reoffending. That is a nightmare scenario not just for police, but for communities and businesses plagued by anti-social behaviour. In the event Alliance’s changes are passed, they may find it hard to explain to their own voters why they thought this a good idea.