Many child offenders known to gardaí before age of 12

HUNDREDS of people sentenced in the Children’s Court have been known to the gardaí since before the age of 12, a Department of Justice report has found.

The sample study of 50 children whose cases were dealt with last year found 20 first came into contact with gardaí at this early stage. The Dublin Children Court finalised the cases of more than 750 juveniles last year.

The findings suggest interventions need to take place at a very young age to be effective, the State-funded report by the Irish Association for the Study of Delinquency said.