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Rejected Allow Courts to Try Under-18s as Adults for Serious Violent and Sexual Crimes

Rejected on

We call for a review of current youth justice laws so that offenders under 18 accused of the most serious crimes, including knife, violence, rape and severe abuse, can be considered for adult prosecution and sentencing where appropriate, based on the crimes committed.

This petition is for the victims whose attackers walk free because of their age. It aims to make society safer for children and to help young people recognise that serious crimes carry serious consequences. Hopefully, this will contribute to a reduction in youth crime and increase accountability for violent and sexual offences.

Why was this petition rejected?

It’s not clear what the petition is asking the UK Government or Parliament to do.

Some under 18s can already be tried in the Crown Court.

Some under-18s that are tried and found guilty in youth court or that plead guilty in youth court can be sentenced in the Crown Court.

A child or young person must always appear in the Crown Court for trial if:
- charged with homicide;
- charged with a firearms offence subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of three years (and is over 16 years of age at the time of the offence); or
- notice has been given to the court (under section 51B or 51C of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998) in a serious or complex fraud or child case.

A case can also be tried in the Crown Court if a child/young person is charged with a "grave crime offence" and there is a real prospect that a sentence substantially exceeding two years will be imposed if they are found guilty. This includes offences where:
- it is punishable with 14 years imprisonment or more for an adult (but is not a sentence fixed by law); or
- it is an offence of sexual assault, a child sex offence committed by a child or young person, sexual activity with a child family member or inciting a child family member to engage in sexual activity.

You can find a full explanation on the Sentencing Council's website: https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/sentencing-children-and-young-people/ You may be particularly interested in 'Section Two: Allocation' and the allocation flowcharts on the webpage.

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.