Boy of THREE is quizzed by police for racism as number of children accused of hate crimes soars
Figures from forces in England and Wales show over 100 kids questioned by cops in the last year
OVER 100 children under the age of ten have been questioned by cops over hate crimes – including a three-year-old tot who racially abused another child.
Information released by 37 of 42 police forces in England and Wales shows 138 incidents of racial or religious abuse by kids aged nine or younger reported last year, according to the .
That is almost double the figure reported in 2011 – which includes cases of both verbal and physical abuse.
Children under 11 cannot be arrested but can be questioned by authorities.
The three-year-old interrogated by police in Manchester reportedly caused 'harassment, alarm or distress' to his victim.
Another case in the North West city, involved a nine-year-old reported for anti-Semitism after telling a classmate “my dad told me not to sit next to Jews”.
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Investigators in Humberside spoke to an eight-year-old who said to another child “go back to Poland”.
In Cheshire, an eight-year-old tot was accused of carrying out a sustained two year campaign of abuse against a female victim.
A boy, 9, in the University town of Cambridge was quizzed by police after spitting at a Hungarian and shouting : “This is our country, go home.”
And in Devon and Cornwall, police are investigating a five-year-old for common assault and a nine-year-old boy who wielded a blade while taunting his terrified victim.
Authorities in the idyllic south west region, also spoke to a lad, 8, who screamed at a child, saying they would “kill us all” because of their religion.
A spokesman for charity Hope Not Hate said: “Both the children and the victims need support. It’s hard to generalise but the role of parental or guardian responsibility plays a strong part in child development and then subsequent actions of that child.”
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, NPCC lead for Hate Crime, told MailOnline: “Children under 10 are below the age of criminal responsibility. They cannot be prosecuted for any offence.
“Police can take reports of any hate incident but in cases involving children under 10 police will not take any criminal action against a child.
“Police may however work with families, schools and other agencies to ensure that there is a proportionate and age appropriate response to these issues.”
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