Submitting evidence to the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Women in the Penal System, which is conducting an inquiry on girls in the penal system, the Howard League for Penal Reform said as many as 170,000 girls have been arrested in the past three years.
A statement from the charity suggested that most of these arrests are "needless" as "very few" of these girls will end up in court and even fewer in custody. It has called on police services to resolve issues involving children or refer cases to child protection services.
The figures, obtained via Freedom of Information requests, show that girls account for around a fifth of the children arrested by the police each year.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
