By Graeme Strachan

A DUNDEE Children’s Panel member last night hit back at criticism of the system, claiming it works better than other methods in stopping young people offending.

Liz Houghton, a member for 15 years, said the adult justice system “must surely illustrate that just locking people up only produces better-informed criminals.”

Children’s Hearings are again at the centre of attention after youths were charged in connection with a break-in at Camperdown Wildlife Centre, Dundee. The incident provoked an outcry because 25 animals were subjected to cruelty.

All three are covered by prohibition on naming the accused if they are under 16, unless a judge or sheriff directs otherwise.

“As a panel member of long standing, I was very sad to read your reports on youth justice, and to find how misunderstood our Children’s Hearing system is,” she said.

“Lord Kilbrandon in his initial report that led to the setting up of the system, recognised that very often it was the same children who were neglected and abused who went on to offend as they got older.

“He proposed a seamless system which concentrated on stopping firstly the neglect and later the offences.

“Dundee leads the way in having teams of specialised social workers who work intensively over a long period to deal with the offending behaviour and turn around the whole life of the young person. This forces the child to examine their behaviour and helps them to change.

“It can’t win every time, no system does. We know it works better than other methods by comparing our offending and re-offending figures with those of other European countries. Our adult justice system must surely illustrate that just locking people up only produces better informed criminals.”

The full facts of the Dundee case and the fate of the youths could never become known. The Scottish Children’s Reporter administration made it clear that legal restraints meant there was no possibility of the sanctions—if any—imposed on the youths ever being publicised.

Liz Houghton said the Press are always able to attend hearings and see “justice is done” but would not be able to make public the outcome or identities of the families.

“The identities of the families and the disposals of the hearing are confidential for their protection and to allow them the best chance to turn their lives around,” she said.

“The last thing I would want to see in Dundee is the horrific spectacle seen outside Preston court of a crowd of harridans baying for the blood of 10-year-old boys.

“No matter how horrific the offence, a civilisation is judged on how it deals with it. Children have a long life ahead of them and so particularly need to be set on the right track. We can’t just make them disappear, surely we must look to the best method of making them useful citizens. We should take pride in our juvenile justice system, which is now admired and copied in many other countries.”

A wide range of options will be available to the fiscal, which includes taking criminal proceedings to the sheriff court. The fiscal could also decide, in consultation with the reporter, to return the youths to the children’s hearings system.

The Scottish SPCA called the attacks “sickening and cowardly” and called for the outcome to reflect the very serious nature of the crime —if proven.