Law and disorder
THE revelation that a quarter of young people have been the victims of crime is shocking not just for its frequency, but because this is the first time such figures have been revealed.
The extension of the British Crime Survey – currently a one-off pilot by the Home Office – discovered that more than two million crimes of theft and violence took place against under-16s in 2009.
Such a huge number – supported by evidence that many of the attacks were perpetrated by other young people – sends the deeply concerning message that youths are increasingly disdainful of the law with little fear of the consequences.
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Hide AdThe new Government was elected on a promise to "mend broken Britain". Now those words must be backed by action.
Crime statistics are too often skewed by those in power; this information must now be published annually to reveal the true picture of the safety of Britain's streets.