Juveniles ‘felt they’d get away with crime’ amid failure to prosecute 3,500 young offenders

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.

Further details have also emerged of the crimes committed — that of the almost 8,000 offences there were 82 cases of assault causing harm and 176 robberies of the person.