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Deputy Children's Commissioner's statement on sentencing of Edlington boys
22 January 2010
Commenting on the sentencing of both Edlington boys, the Deputy Children's Commissioner for England, Sue Berelowitz says:
"No one can fail to have been shocked by the crimes that the two boys in Edlington committed and our primary concern is for the victims who were attacked. I very much hope that with the support of their families they are recovering from their terrible ordeal.
"It is absolutely right that the boys who perpetrated the crimes have been held to account for them and that they will be held in secure custody where they will receive help to face up to their actions and turn around their lives.
"It is also important to look at what drives children to commit such crimes so that we help to prevent similar cases in the future. Like so many other young people who offend, the indications are that these boys grew up in households where they were themselves severely abused and neglected. The best way to end these cycles of violence is to ensure that the relevant services respond quickly and effectively when children are seen to be at risk.
"If reports of the serious case review in the newspapers are accurate, there is no doubt that support services missed many chances to identify these brothers as being capable of committing appalling crimes and this is of deep concern.
"People working with children must regard child abuse as a critical risk factor in relation to violent offending behaviour. There is a large body of research to substantiate this with evidence showing that approximately 60 per cent of the young people in the criminal justice system have experienced abuse."
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