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<p /> <p>I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Ministry of Justice</p><p> </p><p>Serious
sexual offending by under 16s is unacceptable. As part of the consideration of each
young person’s case, the court will look at their background, their reasons for offending,
the welfare of the child and any relevant history including time spent in care. It
may not always be in the young persons’ interest to severely criminalise low level
first time sexual offending, but rather to address the offending behaviour which reduces
the risk of reoffending. This is why all youth sentences have a strong rehabilitative
element in recognition of a child and young persons’ age and maturity.</p><p> </p><p>
</p><p>The number of offenders aged under 16 found guilty at all courts of sexual
offences, in England and Wales, by police force area, in 2013 (latest available) can
be viewed in the table below.<br></p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">Offenders under
16 found guilty at all courts of sexual offences, England and Wales, 2013 <sup>(1)(2)</sup></td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Metropolitan Police</td><td>31</td></tr><tr><td>Cumbria</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Lancashire</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>Merseyside</td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td>Greater
Manchester</td><td>14</td></tr><tr><td>Cheshire</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>Northumbria</td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td>Durham</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>West
Yorkshire</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>South Yorkshire</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Humberside</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Cleveland</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>West
Midlands</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td>Staffordshire</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>West
Mercia</td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td>Warwickshire</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Derbyshire</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Nottinghamshire</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Lincolnshire</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Leicestershire</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Northamptonshire</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Cambridgeshire</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Norfolk</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Suffolk</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Bedfordshire</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Hertfordshire</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Essex</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Thames
Valley</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Hampshire</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>Kent</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Devon
and Cornwall</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Avon and Somerset</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Gloucestershire</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Dorset</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>North
Wales</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>Gwent</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>South Wales</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>Dyfed-Powys</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">(1) The figures given in the table relate
to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were
dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the
offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed
for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory
maximum penalty is the most severe.</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td
colspan="2">(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate
and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted
from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces.
As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their
inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.</td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services
- Ministry of Justice.</td></tr><tr><td>Ref: PQ 215366</td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table><p>
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