Five under 18 year olds in Three Rivers were arrested for sexual assault crimes against children aged under 13 in the last year and a half, data has revealed.
Of the 47 adolescent individuals who were arrested in the area between January 2021 and August this year, three were apprehended on suspicion of rape of a female child under 13, one on suspicion of rape of a male child under 13, and one on suspicion of sexual activity involving a child under 13.
The information also showed a number of other crimes that under 18 year olds had been arrested for. The most common was assault in the category of actual bodily harm (ABH), of which there were 10 instances. This was followed by possession of a bladed article, of which there were four instances.
Other crimes that have been committed, though with less frequency, included one assault in the category of grievous bodily harm, one intention to supply class A drugs, seven common assaults, two burglaries, two robberies and three instances of arson that endangered life.
The month with the most arrests was June 2022, which saw seven arrests, and the months with the least were April, June and November of 2021, which all saw zero arrests.
On a wider level, 893 under 18 year olds were arrested in Hertfordshire for various crimes between January 2021 and August 2022, with assault in the category of ABH being the most common, with 108 recorded instances.
A spokesperson for Herts Police said: “While these figures may be alarming, serious crimes committed by children and young people are relatively rare, and they are in many instances more likely to be the victims of violence, robbery and abuse.
“We work to investigate all of these be they reports of historic or recent incidents with the aim of protecting young people.
“We take a proportionate approach to crime involving younger people not to unnecessarily criminalise young people where possible, however we will pursue criminal charges where necessary in order to protect others and achieve justice for the injured parties if appropriate.
“We work with schools to educate children and young people about the dangers of knife crime, drugs and gang involvement. A
“And we have worked with partners to raise awareness of the dangers that young people face, such as sexual exploitation by others, online or elsewhere.”
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