Children in care being overpoliced - report

CHILDREN in care are 10 times more likely to be cautioned or convicted, research has shown, prompting the Government to say it will look at what more can be done to improve how the state looks after vulnerable young people.

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Children's Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza said young people in care are “too often stigmatised, even sidelined” compared to their peers not in care, and Justice Secretary David Lammy has vowed to make changes to ensure they are “treated as children, rather than criminals”.

Almost half of children in care (49 per cent) who were ever given a caution or criminal conviction came into contact with the justice system only after they went into care - not before, according to a report from Dame Rachel's office, which looks at how “care itself may be driving criminalisation by ‘overpolicing’ children’s challenging behaviour”.