London Courts Pull All-Nighters as Police Arrest 922 People as Young as 7 in Riots
Deluged with a flood of arrestees from widespread rioting after a controversial police shooting this week, at least three criminal courts in London stayed open all night to process the cases, with the help of volunteer prosecutors.
At last report, 922 individuals—some as young as 7 years old—had been arrested and 401 charged as authorities continued to investigate, reports Bloomberg.
Anyone under age 10 is not expected to face charges, because they are considered too young to do so by the British criminal justice system.
Meanwhile, police are in the process of serving 100 warrants and continue to investigate possible cases against individuals who reportedly may have used social media posts and smartphone instant messages to promote rioting.
Under a 2007 change in the law which makes it illegal to encourage crime, such cases will be easier to prosecute, Kiron Reid of the University of Liverpool’s School of Law and Social Justice tells the news agency.
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “UK Official Calls for BlackBerry Ban to Help Control London Rioting”
