Shock of kids aged just 12 arrested for sex crimes

415 under-18s dealt with by police in past 3 years

- BY JENNIFER HYLAND

CHILDREN as young as 12 are being reported to police for sexual offences in Scotland, the Sunday Mail can reveal.

New figures show cops investigated 14 youths aged 12, a total of 29 13-year-olds as well as 47 aged 14 before referring them to Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA).

In the past 18 months a total of 146 children were referred to SCRA in relation to sexual crimes. The data also reveals that 415 under-18s have been dealt with for sex crimes including rape in the past three years.

We previously revealed one terrifying case where a teenage boy admitted raping a young woman at knifepoint when he was just 14 years old - making him one of the country's youngest sex attackers.

The data, released under freedom of information laws, showed the majority of cases since 2022 involved teenagers aged between 12 and 17. However in the years 2020-21 and 2021-22 four 10-year-old children were also referred.

Scottish Tory spokesperson on victims and community safety Sharon Dowey said: "It's appalling and terrifying to think that children so young are committing such serious sexual offences in Scotland.

These figures underline the need for greater education of our young people but also the dangers of the SNP's soft-touch justice system in creating a climate where dangerous gangs are recruiting children into a life of crime."