Newly released Kent Police figures reveal that 683 children aged nine or younger were recorded as suspects between January 2023 and December 2025, including a one‑year‑old girl.. The data, obtained via a Freedom of Information request, has reignited discussion about whether England’s ten‑year minimum age of criminal responsibility is fit for purpose.

One‑Year‑Old Girl Listed Among 683 Suspects

The most striking case involves a one‑year‑old girl flagged after she allegedly caused a minor injury to another child. While the incident is almost certainly accidental, Home Office rules require every allegation to be logged, regardless of the child’s age or the likelihood of prosecution.. The same dataset lists six two‑year‑olds, eleven three‑year‑olds and twenty‑four four‑year‑olds, illustrating how early the policing net is being cast.

Violence and Sexual Offences Dominate the Recordings

Police reports show a wide range of alleged offences, from burglary and arson to sexual abuse. Violence against another person tops the list, and the figures include 130 reported sexual offences involving children under nine. As the report notes, England and Wales cannot prosecute anyone under ten, so these cases are treated as safeguarding matters rather than criminal ones.

Gender Gap: Boys Account for 76% of Recorded Incidents

Demographic breakdowns indicate that boys make up 76 percent of the children named in the three‑year period. Paul Webb, the cabinet member for children’s services at Kent County Council,described the statistics as “not ideal” and said the council will intensify early‑intervention programmes, especially for vulnerable youngsters targeted by county‑lines gangs.

Police Strategies: Child‑Centred Teams and Out‑of‑Court Resolutions

Chief Superintendent Rob Marsh, who heads Kent Police’s Strategic Prevention Command, explained that most reports come from victims, families, schools or other professionals.. The force relies on Child‑Centred Policing Teams and a Violence Reduction Unit to deliver education, local curfews, community resolutions and youth conditional cautions – often involving workbook‑based lessons on the imact of behaviour.

Who Decides the Age of Criminal Responsibility?

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has urged nations to raise the minimum age to fourteen or higher,arguing that ten is too low for adolescent development.. England’s current threshold remains ten, while Scotland recently lifted it to twelve. As the Kent data shows, the practical effect of the ten‑year rule is a flood of child‑safeguarding cases that sit in police databases without any prospect of prosecution.

According to the figures, the trend is not isolated to Kent but mirrors a broader south‑east pattern of gang recruitment and child‑on‑child abuse. Both the council and the police stress that multi‑agency cooperation – involving social services, schools and children’s homes – is essential to protect at‑risk youth.