West Midlands Police Arrest Children as Young as 10 for Serious Crimes
Freedom of information data obtained by BirminghamLive has revealed a disturbing trend in the West Midlands region, where children as young as 10 years old have been arrested for shocking crimes. The data shows dozens of baby-faced schoolchildren have been taken into police custody for questioning over serious offences between 2024 and 2025.
Serious Offences Involving Young Children
The criminal age of responsibility in the United Kingdom is 10 years old, meaning children from this age can be charged with committing crimes. According to the data from West Midlands Police, the majority of young children questioned by detectives were aged 12. However, children as young as 10 have found themselves in police custody for serious allegations.
A 12-year-old was detained on suspicion of murder, while a child aged just 10 was taken into custody over a suspected attempted murder. The data also reveals a number of arrests related to sexual offences, including at least two 12-year-olds for rape.
Knife Crime and Youth Violence
Knife crime among young people has been a growing issue in recent years, with the shocking killing of 12-year-old Leo Ross in Birmingham serving as a tragic example. The innocent child was brutally murdered in a random attack as he walked home from school in Hall Green by then-14-year-old Kian Moulton.
The data paints a sobering picture of youth violence in the region. There were at least 17 arrests for possession of knives in the year to February 2025, including five 11-year-olds. There were a further 20 arrests for possession of offensive weapons, which could have included knives.
Other Serious Offences
Police investigated 24 robberies involving children aged 12 and under, with seven cases involving 11-year-olds and one case involving a child just 10 years old. There were also 19 racially aggravated assault offences involving kids aged 12 and under.
The youngest children, aged 10, were arrested for various other reasons including:
- Assault
- Attacking an emergency worker
- Criminal damage
- Malicious communications
- Possession of a knife or another offensive weapon
Recent Convictions of Young Offenders
In 2024, two 12-year-old boys became some of the youngest in the UK to be convicted of murder after brutally hacking Shawn Seesahai to death in a Wolverhampton park. While Kian Moulton's chilling actions in killing Leo Ross were extreme in their seriousness, he is far from the only youth in the West Midlands who has found himself in trouble with police.
The data reveals that other children as young as 10 have been arrested over shocking crimes in the West Midlands, highlighting a concerning pattern of youth involvement in serious criminal activity that requires urgent attention from authorities and communities alike.
