Children rioted after Southport stabbings "for fun rather than due to misinformation"
The Children's Commissioner has interviewed a number of young people who were charged in connection with disorder which broke out across the country.
New research by the Children's Commissioner is suggesting thrill-seeking and a distrust of police were the driving forces behind young people getting involved in last summer's riots, more than online misinformation.
Dame Rachel de Souza's office spoke to around a fifth of the children charged in relation to disorder which broke out in the aftermath of the murders of three girls in Southport.
Axel Rudakubana was handed a 52-year sentence last week for the triple killing, as well as the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults at the dance class on Hart Street last July.
In the days following the stabbings, a number of false claims circulated on social media about the circumstances, with much of that misinformation believed to have fuelled rioting in various parts of England.
But Dame Rachel said her office's interviews with 14 of the under-18s charged in relation to the riots indicated motives different to the "prevailing narrative" that they were spurred on by misinformation, racism or other right-wing influences.
In a report published on Tuesday, she said: "What emerged from the conversations I had with the young people themselves was striking, and often unsettling.
"Many children described making a split-second decision, their involvement being largely spontaneous and unconsidered, driven by curiosity or the thrill of the moment to see what was going on in their community.
"Others described a deep distrust of the police and the opportunity to retaliate against a previous interaction.
"What these conversations do not support is the prevailing narrative that emerged from the riots which was subsequently accepted: that online misinformation, racism or other right-wing influences were to blame for why young people were enticed to join in the aggression.
"While there is no doubt these issues all played a role, they did not drive the children's actions - they did not come up as the only significant factors in any of the conversations with the children who were charged."
The report said information from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) showed 147 children were arrested by September 4, 84 were charged, and 73 had finalised outcomes, as of the end of October.
More than three quarters (78%) were charged in northern England, the report said.
Of the 14 children spoken to towards the end of last year by the commissioner's office, many had no previous experience with the criminal justice system and reported having felt curious to see what was happening, thinking it looked fun or wanting free goods.
All "made it clear that they did not get involved due to far-right, anti-immigration or racist views", the report said.
Ages and genders of the 14 children were not included in the report to protect their anonymity, the commissioner's office said.
It concluded that the Government's approach in responding swiftly to the disorder "led to most children receiving unusually severe charges and sentences".
The commissioner said: "Rehabilitation and addressing the underlying causes for their involvement was not the primary objective, pushing many children off pathways towards becoming independent, productive adults."
Dame Rachel said the children spoken to wanted the Government to address poverty and provide more opportunities such as youth activities and employment to avoid leaving children vulnerable to exploitation and crime.
She said: "The involvement of children in those riots and the reasons they told me they got involved raise some really serious questions about childhood in England and why our children feel so disaffected and disempowered."
She said custodial sentences must always be the last resort when it comes to children, with a focus instead needed on rehabilitation and addressing underlying causes.
She added: "The widespread expression of hostility toward the police among these children also highlights an urgent need for child-centred policing that builds trust and fosters positive relationships."
Sikander Ali is head of operations at Wigan Youth Zone and told us they kept their services open during the period of unrest, to engage with young people when a planned protest was organised in Wigan: "We saw a lot of young people who told us that if we weren't open, they might have gone into town to check it out.
"I think the term 'check it out' is the key here - a lot of young people got lured into it because they needed somewhere to go and something to do. We were fortunate to have stayed open that night and if we weren't open, what would be the percentage chance of those young people going to 'check out' what was going on?
"These are informal education spaces. This is where young people come in their free time, voluntarily. But informally they are educated on life. We were doing awareness workshops throughout the period to help discourage young people from getting involved in any altercations."
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