Children 'placed at risk' due to treatment in court custody

Lay Observers, independent volunteers appointed by the Secretary of State for Justice said that although children, young people and vulnerable adults are safeguarded in police custody through the presence of an appropriate adult, once they reach court custody, there is no such provision.

As a result, they said, they are treated like adults, placed in small windowless cells and cared for by custody officers with no special training.

It said recent examples of poor treatment include a 16-year-old girl being brought from a police station to Uxbridge Magistrates Court in a standard Serco prison vehicle with adult men.

Although this was permitted under the particular contract, if under escort to or from a young offender institution (YOI) or secure unit she would have to be escorted by specially trained officers in an unmarked car with tinted windows.

The most recent Lay Observers annual report warns that large vehicles routinely used to escort children to court are "particularly unsuitable". It estimates that about 500 children and young people are transported from police custody in an unacceptable manner each month - 6,000 a year.

It said that, unlike the contract for the transport of children to YOIs, which is managed by the Youth Justice Board (YJB), the contract for transport to court does not require appropriate consideration for the welfare of children and young people.

"It clearly does not provide an appropriate level of respect to the individual and can involve risks to custody officers who are not trained in the proper treatment and restraint of children and young people," the report states.

"This was recently illustrated by an incident in which a custody officer suffered the loss of two fingers following poor behaviour of a young person."

The report adds that the inconsistency in the treatment of children and young people has been raised with the YJB "with no apparent change in policy or practice as a consequence".