The death of a young person in custody or a child at risk often leads to a media and public outcry. Deaths such as these have also historically prompted independent reviews, rafts of recommendations and, on occasion, government action.
By sharp contrast, relatively little is known about how many children aged 10 to 17 die, accidentally or otherwise, while under the supervision of youth offending teams (YOTs) and the exact circumstances under which this happens.
Statistics uncovered last week by CYP Now reveal the extent of the problem. There have been at least 96 suicides, attempted suicides or accidental deaths of young people looked after by YOTs in the first eight months of this year. For the first time, the figures also outline the number of "public protection incidents" carried out by those under YOT supervision and incidents where they have been victims themselves.
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