By Steve Bargeton, political editor

PERSISTENT YOUNG offenders could be forced to face up to their victims and explain their behaviour as part of a radical overhaul of the children’s hearing system announced yesterday.

During 2003-04 more than 45,000 children were referred to the Children’s Reporter, more than 33,000 of whom were on issues of care and welfare.

Problems within the system were highlighted earlier this month when Colyn Evans (18) was jailed for life for murdering Fife teenager Karen Dewar.

It emerged that Fife police and the social work department knew of 14 previous incidents involving Evans but he was never placed on the sex offenders’ register.

An independent inquiry into the case ordered by the Scottish Executive is due to report later this year.

Yesterday education minister Peter Peacock announced proposals to revamp the system which would see offenders appearing in front of the children’s panel more regularly.

The Executive also wants more children’s hearings to be held outwith school hours so children whose attendance in classes is already poor do not miss out further on their education.

“We will tackle persistence with persistence,” said Mr Peacock.

Ministers have concluded that too many youngsters end up in the hearings system because local authority departments and police are not taking effective, co-ordinated action early enough.

The grounds for referral to the Reporter and the children’s hearing system are to be changed and based on two tests—significant need and the likely need for compulsion.

The new proposals, “Getting it right for every child”, are now subject to public consultation until the end of September.

Scotland’s unique children’s hearings system was set up in 1971 to address the needs of youngsters facing serious problems in their lives.

These can include offending, a failure to attend school or parents struggling to look after them.

Margaret Cox, the newly appointed Principal Reporter, welcomed the focus on a unified approach between agencies.

“Children deserve improved access to appropriate services and we need to become even more effective in identifying and assessing their needs,” she said.

“We need to turn around the current position where so many children in need of support are being referred to the Children’s Reporter.

“The hearings system was designed to focus on children for whom compulsory measures of supervision are considered necessary.

“Earlier intervention in providing effective support to children and families in need should, over time, reduce the number of children coming to the attention of the children’s hearings system.”

SNP education spokesman Fiona Hyslop welcomed the proposals, but voiced “serious reservations” over how they were to be delivered.

“More powers for Principal Reporters without improved support on the ground is a recipe for inaction,” she said.

Tory deputy justice spokeswoman Margaret Mitchell said change was needed, but “yet another consultation” was not the answer.

“We have repeatedly called for the children’s panels to have greater powers, for example the ability to order drug testing and treatment orders,” she said.

“We also feel that 14 and 15-year-old offenders should be dealt with in the youth courts.”