Juveniles committed 45% of sex offences in 2016

Juvenile offenders were responsible for almost half of all sexual offences recorded by gardaí in 2016.

The shocking scale of involvement of children and teenagers, aged 18 or under, in rape and sexual assaults, is revealed in an annual report of the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme.

Young offenders were linked to 45% of all sexual offences committed that year.