The failure of gardaí to prosecute some 3,500 juvenile offenders may have “fuelled a perception of immunity leading to the commission of further offences”, an interim Garda report has found.

Close to one in 10 of all crimes reported in Ireland are committed by children, with under-18s responsible for more than half of all car and bicycle thefts, trespass offences, arson, unlawful collections, fireworks offences, and robberies from the person.