‘KEEPING a child in a cell overnight is not only inappropriate and distressing for the child concerned, but is a breach of their fundamental rights,’ Mark Gettleson, spokesman for the Howard League for Penal Reform, told News Line yesterday.
He was commenting on the revelation from a senior police officer that children are systematically held overnight in police cells ahead of a court appearance.
Figures obtained from freedom of information requests show that children aged 17 and under were detained overnight in police cells on 40,716 occasions in 2011.
Greater Manchester Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley appeared before the all-party parliamentary group on children recently, where she described the practice as a ‘chronic breach of law’.
Copley told the MPs: ‘Too often, children and young people remain in custody overnight.
‘The continued chronic breach of this legislative requirement is not only bad practice per se; subliminally, it indicates to all involved in the process that children’s rights are not seen as important, and I’ve raised my concerns on this with the Home Office.’
Copley, who is also the Association of Chief Police Officers lead spokesperson on custody issues, said the practice of detaining children has become a growing concern for the police.
‘The Police and Criminal Evidence Act is clear on this matter and states that if they are being kept in custody they should be transferred to the care of the local authority,’ said Copley.
‘But in practice we know that local authorities do not always have the accommodation available, and with shrinking resources I think this becomes a growing concern.’
Copley added that authorities should be reminded that they have ‘a statutory duty’ to offer alternative accommodation.
Mark Gettleson, Campaigns and Communications manager for the Howard League for Penal Reform, told News Line yesterday: ‘The Howard League has long called for this unnecessary and archaic practice to end and we look forward to MPs heeding their concerns.’
